


The Possible Origins and Genesis of Gems: A Hiatusverse Investigation (Contains 121% all natural Fluff)

by needforsuv



Series: Steven Universe Extended Hiatusverse [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddles, Dialogue, Diamond Visits, Discussion, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hiatus, Hugs, Humor, I Tried, LOADS OF KISSES, Meet the Family, Multi, Origin of Gems, Other, Philosophy, Reflection, Self-Love, The Great Diamond Authority, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, astrobiology, family love, hugs and kisses, lots of fluff, lots of love, references to things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 16:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19212808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/needforsuv/pseuds/needforsuv
Summary: The Diamonds decides to use the Hiatus to discuss some pressing concerns about their nature. Who are they gonna call? Steven Universe of course! But when Stevonnie answers the Pink Diamond communicator, the Diamonds are in for a bit of a surprise. Fluff guaranteed or your money back.*





	1. Calling Direct From Homeworld

**Author's Note:**

> There will be no talks about Gem Artifacts because they are technology/mythology and I feel like that part of canon gem history (Era 0/1) might be best left open – show canon might delve into it at some point and I feel like there isn’t much to talk about anyway. Besides, a magician never reveals (all) their secrets. It’s more fun as a mystery.
> 
> Credits to [DSDUKE](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DSDUKE) for suggesting the gems question their origins as a species.
> 
> Props to [Zygella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zygella) for their Diamond Visits series which serves as an inspiration for this fic.
> 
> Props to [Demondogweed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demondogweed) for their Homonculi ‘series’ which also served as an inspiration.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Diamonds make a call. (Plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is RECOMMENDED that you read the main Hiatusverse entry first. But you don’t need to read it to fully enjoy this fic; after all, Hiatusverse content is intended to be able to stand on its own.

There could be many things that could be said about this very hiatus; however, excruciating is not one of them – at least not for one very happy fusion right now…

Without the threat of an enemy or plot drama looming (let’s pretend the movie is nothing to worry about yet), it can be easy to see why some have decided to take this time to relax and enjoy themselves.

Just outside the temple on the beach, Amethyst was busy enjoying herself – and soaking in the sun – when suddenly the ground shook around her. Noticing that the something was blocking the sun’s rays from reaching her body, Amethyst got up from her beach chair to give it a piece of her mind.

Before she could make heads or tails of the sudden ‘intruder’, Amethyst shouted, “HEY! What’s the big idea? I’m sunbathing here…”

However, when she noticed that the object in front of her was actually a giant pair of pink legs, Amethyst’s anger turned to confusion and then amusement.

“Steven? What are you doing in there? You know Pearl told you _not_ to take that thing for joyrides without telling anyone. I’ve got to admit, seeing that ship just gives me the giggles; but dude you are blocking ma sun!”

The pilot of the craft soon activated the video-intercom system and Amethyst could see Stevonnie grinning their face off inside.

“Stevonnie? OH MAN OH MAN! Is this a fusion joyride? You are so sneaky but I swear I won’t tell Pearl alright. Just please stop blocking my sun!”

Stevonnie’s grin dropped for a moment when they responded, “Oh, sorry Amethyst. It’s just with this hiatus and all, I thought it would be nice to take mom-Pink’s ship out for a spin you know. I just thought I should probably get used to ‘flying’ this ship just in case and maybe Stevonnie’s legs might work better for this ship? So Connie thought we should test it. Anyway, check this out!”

As the almost comically silly pair of legs backed away from Amethyst, Stevonnie stood and spun around on one foot – with the ship following.

“TA-DA!”

Stevonnie was grinning even more now, and Amethyst smiled just a little in response and clapped for a moment.

“Not bad, not bad. Sorry to break ya bubble ‘von, but there is A LOT MORE COOLER stuff that you could be doing right now with that ship.”

“It was just a warm up Ames, besides it already feels so MUCH easier to pilot as me.”

Amethyst smirked and replied smugly, “I CAN TELL! Steven was such a bad pilot. No offense dude, but I actually feel safer chilling with White Diamond – at least I know I won’t die.”

Stevonnie than burst into a fit of giggles and landed their butt on the floor from laughing so hard.

“Sorry if Steven’s ‘flying’ was a cat-ASS-trophe; he’s got tiny legs. It’s not like you could do better.”

The horrible pun caused Amethyst to burst out laughing as well. Once both of them stopped laughing, Stevonnie dusted themselves off and got back up – with the ship not having any arms, it was still covered in sand.

Amethyst paused for a moment and said, “Er, you know the ship is still dusty right? That ship ain’t got no arms to dust itself off.”

Upon this realisation, Stevonnie proceeded to do a little shimmy to get the dust off the ship. However, it turned out to be more of a small jiggle when their motion was translated to the ship; but it did its job and now the ship was clean again. Stevonnie was now really itching to see what the ship could do, and Amethyst could see it too. However, they seemed a bit unsure of what to do now that the initial surprise had worn off.

“Well Stevonnie what are ya waiting for? You two fused in front of the Diamonds and like a hundred gems! Just be yourself, it doesn’t matter what people think as long as you are happy. We can be goofy together alright, SURPRISE ME!”

Stevonnie thought for a moment and beamed, “Ok, let’s see what this baby can do!”

They took a deep breath and proceeded to do the only thing Steven couldn’t do properly with his stubby legs – acrobatics. Of course, having only legs meant that they couldn’t do cartwheels or anything that needed arms – at least that’s what they thought. Stevonnie hit the play button on the ship’s console. Immediately, workout music could be heard both inside and outside the ship.

Stevonnie began by doing stretches and progressed to little hops. With each action their grin only grew wider and soon the legs were doing star jumps.

Amethyst cheered them on with barely contained excitement, “Oh, yeah! Break a leg ‘Von. I bet Pink never had FUN like this. I sure am glad _someone_ actually made this ship!”

“I know right! I can’t believe just how flexible this ship is!” Stevonnie chirped.

A few star jumps later, Stevonnie was now doing twirls in the air and even more spins. The elegance with which they and the ship performed those actions was a remarkable sight indeed; fusion and machine in perfect harmony – gliding through the air with such ease and grace that would put Pearl to shame. At no point did the ship make any unpleasant noises; it was almost like it was designed for this. Twirls soon turned into full on ballet dancing and moves as Stevonnie felt increasing comfortable and familiar with piloting the ship. Like many of their talents as a fusion – namely driving the Dondai and flying the Star Skipper – nobody was actually sure where those abilities came from when neither of their components have shown relevant skills which may have combined when they fused.

If someone told you earlier that neither Steven nor Connie ever took ballet lessons, you probably wouldn’t believe it. But right now, seeing the elegance with which the fusion progressed through an impromptu ballet routine; you’d be convinced otherwise.

As the climax of the routine approached, Stevonnie got ready for the big finale. Amethyst’s eyes stayed glued to the ship as she watched on; not even blinking for fear of missing something important. Her attention was soon rewarded when the ship did a front split, jumped back up, swapped legs, jumped back up again and did a side split.

Amethyst was applauding intensely as she practically shouted at the top of her lungs, “OMG, STEVONNIE! THAT. WAS. AWESOME! I can’t BELIEVE you can actually do that. If Pearl was here right now, she would be SO proud of you.”

“Yeah, the splits don’t even hurt or anything! I think I might take a break though. I could do this all day, but I think this is getting too intense for you,” Stevonnie replied as they sat down to relax.

“Pssh, if I can handle messing ‘round with Jasper I can handle watching you have some fun,” Amethyst replied in a playfully snarky tone, “But yeah, let’s sit down for a bit.”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

After a few minutes of taking a break, Amethyst and Stevonnie got back up again. Amethyst suggested to Stevonnie that they should do some poses with the ship so she could take some photos for later.

“Alright then, _legs_ get posing,” Said Stevonnie as they winked.

Amethyst face-palmed at the pun, but giggled nonetheless. She then took out her phone as Stevonnie started to pose. While some of the poses could later be interpreted as crude or inappropriate, it did not matter in the moment – Stevonnie was enjoying themselves and your imagination (the reader!) is being filled with silliness – it was all good fun. Each pose was photographed with and without the video-intercom as Amethyst quickly found out that she could not decide whether seeing Stevonnie posing or the ship posing was better.

On one hand, Stevonnie is being fabulous and enjoying themselves without a worry in the world. She would be a fool not to capture this moment for Stevonnie’s inevitable union/wedding; besides who knows how Stevonnie will change when Steven and Connie grows up – if anything, Stevonnie deserves their own photo album documenting their growth. For their sake as much as the future of gem kind, this unique opportunity could not be missed.

On the other hand, seeing the ship pose is HALARIOUS and a timeless masterpiece. With a touch of PictureDoctor, she could easily add the other Diamond ships in and maybe even make it look like Pink Diamond herself was doing it. It’s funny in a way, to find out that all those stories about Pink was wrong; she wasn’t cruel or anything, she just wanted to have fun and be herself.

In the end, most of the poses turned out great; crossing legs, squats, splits, and awkward silly poses that you could only describe in some obscure language – it was all great fun.

 

Stevonnie thought for a moment and remembered something, “Hey, Sour Cream give Steven some sick beats. It would be perfect to dance to… Now where is Steven’s phone… OH here it is… let me just…”

They fumbled a bit to pull Steven’s phone out of their pocket and plugged it into the console to upload the songs, the ambiance was then set to the newly added ‘rave’ lighting mode. After the upload was complete, Stevonnie put Steven’s phone back in their pocket and hit play on the new mix.

Both the inside and outside of the ship was now bathed in radical raving lights and loud – but not too loud and unsafe as Dr. Maheswaran reminded Connie – music was being ‘blasted’ by whatever magical speakers that Peridot had installed at Steven’s request. Stevonnie was dancing once more, but this time to a more rapid tempo; they started off slow but became more intense with each song – twists, jumps, twirls, and flips – pretty much all the dancing they could do with only legs.

By now, Amethyst had joined in on the dancing as well and was full on ‘adrenaline’ and excitement. So it was no surprise what she did next.

“Yo ‘Von, let’s turn it up a notch!”

“I dunno. I’m not sure it’ll work with just legs, but I’ll try,” Stevonnie replied hesitantly.

They thought for a moment and just shrugged, “Er, what’s the worst that could happen?”

With that, they waited for the beat to drop. Amethyst was now filming the whole thing (just in case), but Stevonnie didn’t seem to notice or just didn’t bother. It turns out that the ship can actually breakdance – and defy physics because it just spins in the air – and Stevonnie found themselves grinning from ear to ear at the revelation. Inside the ship, they were breakdancing like their lives depended on it – but they still enjoyed it. They made a mental note to go to more parties/raves as Stevonnie later because this is just too much fun. On the outside, Amethyst was so surprised that she couldn’t even say a word or move – she was just standing there filming with her jaw LITTERALLY dropped to the floor – for the sight of a giant pink pair of legs performing mesmerising fears of physics defying breakdancing was even more wild then she could’ve ever imagined. It was definitely funnier with just the legs, and if the Diamonds think otherwise, then they would have to have a proper dance off.

 

Stevonnie changed the playlist to something a bit slower after Amethyst had enough of the rave music and couldn’t keep up with the breakdancing no matter how hard she tried. The lighting also changed as the next song began to play – it was a classic by AJ Michael – and Stevonnie had just the right idea on what to do.

It seemed like they were a natural at almost anything, but they still managed to surprise themselves when they managed to perfectly pull off AJ’s famous dance moves. You name it, they did it; the robot, the spin, the lean, and obviously the moonwalk. It was a shame that the beach was so small (for the ship anyway) or they would’ve moonwalked all the way to the West Coast – they could do it now, but they didn’t want to cause any more property damage.

Stevonnie’s dancing however, was interrupted when the Pink Diamond communicator started ringing. They subconsciously turned the music and lights off. Amethyst shapeshifted into an owl and got closer to the video-holoscreen to see what the interruption was. She was perplexed until she recognised the Diamond communicator and what it meant.

“Well, looks like you’ll be busy. See ya later Stevonnie, I’ma go chill with sis and the fam or something. Have fun! Just don’t come lookin’ for me ‘cuz I’ma be a while.”

Stevonnie waved goodbye to Amethyst, shut off the intercom, and tidied themselves up while they tried to figure out how to answer the communicator.

“How do I work this thing?”

“I don’t know. Last time Peridot just twisted it or something?”

“Steven, that was for calling! I don’t think we can call ourselves anyway.”

“Hmm, good point. The communicator is already on Pink… which means…”

“We don’t have to twist it… Maybe we just touch it with our hand like Rose’s armoury?”

“Well here goes nothing, ready?”

“Ready as always, Stevonnie.”

As Stevonnie placed their palm on the communicator, a screen appeared in front of them and the call was connected.

“Well that was easy.”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

**### Some minutes ago on Homeworld… ###**

Of course a hiatus is nothing for immortal beings like the Diamonds. However, the revelation about Steven’s nature had rooted seeds of questioning for them; questions about their origins and what it really means to exist – questions which may very well lead to them losing their sanity. There are many reasons for them to question this. For one, they exhibit or seem to mirror the biological responses of organics even when they themselves are inorganic. While Steven is unique in his own right as a hybrid and therefore free to truly define himself as he pleased; the Diamonds did not have this reprieve. Even though he has made it clear that it is fine to just be yourself (and not let others define you), one can’t help but question their origins – one curiosity that is not unique to the species of gems.

Seeing as canon probably won’t be addressing gem lore anytime soon, and that they likely won’t be featured in another episode for some time; they decided to use the hiatus to address these thoughts.

However, the three reformed and former matriarchs of Homeworld – White, Yellow and Blue Diamond – were struggling with this problem.

“I get that the fans have theories and we have to have an origin as a species…” Yellow Diamond deliberated, “But Rebecca Sugar isn’t going to address it anytime soon; so we’ll have to figure it out ourselves.”

Blue Diamond nodded, “Yes indeed. I’m just glad that this hiatus hasn’t left fans hanging. But I can’t help but feel like we’re missing something.”

“It is true that even with our ‘redemption’, we have so much to learn and grow as characters,” White Diamond said in a thoughtful tone, “It will be hard to ignore millennia of ingrained thinking to tackle this issue properly. We really are only beginning to ‘come out of our shell’ so to speak, and I just don’t think we can do it without help.”

“Maybe we can call Steven and ask for his help,” Blue Diamond suggested, “I’m sure humans deal with this kind of thing all the time given what I’ve seen of their culture. If anyone can help us, it’s Steven.”

“That sounds like a great idea Blue. But won’t we be a bother?” Yellow asked.

White smiled and replied, “Nonsense, he’d be happy to help us. After all, we could use some more time with our precious Starlight. Oh, Starlight, how you’ve given light to us once more… You helped complete our family once more, and how could family turn each other down? We must call Starlight immediately, for I fear my sanity is slipping away minute by minute!”

“His name is Steven, and quit being dramatic,” Blue replied sarcastically.

“I know, but the nickname fits even more now! Plus, Steven doesn’t seem to mind having or giving others nicknames. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Let’s call him then,” Yellow stated, “I just hope he knows how to answer a communicator.”

The three Diamonds gathered as Yellow Pearl handed ‘her’ Diamond the communicator – even though the Diamonds no longer ‘owned’ their pearls, they still felt greatly pleased to be helping the Diamonds; so they just let them and made sure they would have more freedom and time for leisure.

“Thank you.” Yellow Diamond said politely, “You’re free to go do whatever you please with Blue Pearl.”

Yellow Pearl smiled brightly and bowed – not in worship, but as a sign of respect and a show of good manners.

“Have fun with Steven, Yellow Diamond!”

She quickly left the room so she could spend more time with Blue Pearl, and Yellow Diamond paused for a moment before she continued.

Yellow Diamond steeled herself as she twisted the communicator to the Pink Position – something that she had not done in the millennia since Pink’s ‘rebirth’ as Rose. A dial tone could be heard as the device projected a video in front of the three Diamonds.

They waited…

10 seconds…

20 seconds…

30 seconds and finally the call connected.

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

The person who answered the call was not who the Diamonds had expected. They stumbled backwards a bit before they came into full view. They looked a bit shocked too and were rather familiar. They wore Steven’s signature star shirt and jeans and their gem was clearly showing.

“Stevonnie?” White Diamond asked.

Stevonnie stumbled as they tried to answer the Diamonds.

“ARGH! Um… Hi White. Yep, that’s me; Stevonnie. Oh, HEY YELLOW! SUP BLUE! What are you calling for?”

The Bicolour Diamonds waved at them before Yellow cleared her throat as she subconsciously focused on their gem – surely they knew what a Diamond communicator is for.

“Oh right. You probably want to talk to Steven right? We were just doing me things, but it’s fine; I can pick it up later. So… um… do you want me to unfuse so you can talk to Steven? It’ll be fine i…”

“No, that will not be necessary,” Yellow interrupted.

“We love you no matter what Stevonnie,” Blue Diamond said soothingly to the surprise of Stevonnie.

“You are amazing, don’t forget that. We apologize for our behaviour at the ball and for making you feel unwanted and ashamed. We know better now, and I want you to know that you’re a part of our family too,” Yellow Diamond added as White smiled.

“You’ll always be our precious Starlight, Stevonnie. We will always love and protect you no matter what. You’re the light to our salvation and without you we’d be lost. You have brought light into our lives and allowed us to feel joy again. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fused or not; we will love you just the same.”

Stevonnie blushed and the Diamonds chuckled at the sight. They waited until both sides of the call were calm before continuing, “I bet you’re wondering what I’m up to.”

“That’s partly the reason we called,” Blue replied, “We need your help with something, but we’re also in need of some bonding time seeing as how canon and other fanfic writers don’t seem to be delivering anytime soon.”

Stevonnie nodded and replied, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to let this plot progress as the author see fit… No need to rush right? We’ve got the whole hiatus to bond.”

“I’m sure this fic will turn out just fine. Do not fail us author, or you will feel the wrath and fury of the Diamonds!”

“Um, Yellow… if we keep breaking the 4th wall, I don’t think he’ll ever finish the story.”

“Right, sorry. So how are you Stevonnie?” Yellow asked.

“I’m doing GREAT!” Stevonnie replied cheerily, “I was just taking Mom-Pink’s ship for a spin and finding out what it can do. I really hope you don’t mind, it’s just that this hiatus seemed like the perfect time to have some fun. Sorry I didn’t ask about using it…”

Blue give Stevonnie a smile to reassure them, “What’s Pink’s is Steven’s and what’s his is yours Stevonnie. No need to ask us, just don’t break anything.”

Stevonnie beamed at the response, “Wow, THANKS! Oh man, I can’t wait to see what this fine _ass_ ship is made of! Eat your heart out Kevin and Aquamarine!”

Seeing Stevonnie’s infectious smile made the Diamonds smile as well. It reminded the Diamonds so much of times with a ‘younger’ Pink, yet at the same time, there was a sense of something more – something in the pure happiness that radiated from Stevonnie that was absent before with Pink – it was a sense of love and acceptance. Things that Pink never truly give them; yet, after all this, Stevonnie still accepted them as a family. The Diamonds have never been better, and it was all because of Stevonnie.

White Diamond flushed pink before she asked, “Is it alright if I call you Starlight?”

Stevonnie nodded and responded, “Sure thing, Steven wouldn’t mind either. Nicknames are the BEST!”

“What are your friends doing with the hiatus?” Blue Diamond asked, “We don’t mean to intrude, but we are just curious.”

“Nothing wrong with being curious,“ Stevonnie reassured them and thought for a moment before continuing, “Well Lapis is playing with the healed gems. Even though she’s a Crystal Gem now, they still seem to trust her more for some reason.”

Blue seemed intrigued, “Well, Lapis Lazulis always have that effect on others – they are well respected gems even today. I guess after learning about her ordeal during the war, one can’t help but feel sympathy for her. Besides, Lazulis really have something about them that draws you in; isn’t that right Stevonnie?”

Stevonnie blushed and stammered out an almost incoherent response, “Um… Yea? Me and Lapis? So… what? I’ll admit she’s a sight to behold but I… Steven! Sorry… I love you Connie but… Steven, it’s okay; I can’t say I don’t feel the same about Lapis… Breathe Stevonnie, breathe; flexibility, love and trust… Hmm…”

“Remember what you said Starlight; just be whoever you are and things will be fine. Nobody will judge and we’ll figure this out together. Don’t let labels and preconceived notions define you; you are special and it doesn’t matter what others think. If you’re happy, we’re happy; and that’s all we need. I think you and Lapis will be cute together.”

“Thanks…” Stevonnie said with a blush, “One step at a time right?”

“Yeah, let’s get on with it already, Author. Tell us about the rest of the gems already,” Yellow remarked.

Stevonnie giggled a bit and continued, “So Pearl, Garnet and Bismuth are chilling and catching up with the old gang.”

“BIG Surprise,” Yellow replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

Stevonnie wiggled their eyebrows in response, earning a laugh from Yellow, “Peridot is doing her own thing, probably checking on the gems or spying on somebody… I think Amethyst is playing with Jasper and the fam? I’m not really sure how Jasper is handling everything; but you know quartzes love having fun.”

Blue pinched the bridge of her nose and replied, “Don’t remind me. We still have a whole army of bubbled Rose Quartzes. I don’t think anyone can handle that much mischief.”

“Is that why you called? Don’t tell me Sugar forgot about them,” Stevonnie exclaimed.

The Diamonds shook their heads and subconsciously reached for their gems.

“Something deeper?” Stevonnie suggested.

Yellow straightened herself and replied hesitantly, “We just… These new events and revelations have just got us thinking… About the meaning of being and our origins… It sounds silly, but humans must wonder the same thing as well; and we could use some help.”

Stevonnie scratched their chin in thought, “I’ll be glad to help. Even if humans don’t have answers for everything, I’m sure we’ll figure something out together. Maybe we should talk in person.”

“That is a great idea! Should we come by now or later?” Yellow asked.

“Well, I’ll need some time to think… So how about 3pm the day after tomorrow? We can meet on the beach.”

“See you then! Have fun with the Legs,” Yellow remarked.

“See you later Starlight, we love you.” White added as Blue blew a kiss towards the screen.

Stevonnie blushed and waved goodbye.

 

After the call ended, they resumed with their ‘joyride’ of the legs. Of course they weren’t tired yet, they were the very definition of boundless energy and happiness. Since they had already mastered the basic motion controls of the ship, they decided to check out some of its other functions. They opened up the rest of the control panels and immediately went star-eyed when they saw just how many buttons, dials, sliders, switches, gauges, readouts, and lights there were. The ‘stereo’ system and intercom were nothing compared to this, and Stevonnie couldn’t resist the urge to play with them all.

However, they knew that button meshing could end very badly in an alien spacecraft like this. Fortunately, Pearl had to foresight to translate/label everything in English. Although Stevonnie could be doing more specific things with the controls, it seemed like the author was just too lazy to write it out. Or perhaps, the chapter is long enough already and there are literally too many functions there could be. Whatever the case, the sky is the limit and as such; the author has decided to leave it to the imagination of the audience as to which each and every one of the controls did.

That did not bother Stevonnie as they set to work going through each one of the controls methodically. The rest of the day was filled with giggles, laughs, and slightly embarrassing moments as they finally unlocked the secrets of the ship. Thankfully, nothing bad happened and Stevonnie managed to keep the legs in one piece.

 

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Stevonnie here! I just wanted to list some of the controls/functions here so you don’t think the author is lazy.

Atmospheric Properties – Huh, neat. Carbon level is pretty low and the air is really clean. Locked to the nice and comfortable default.

Autopilot – NEAT! It even does dances!

Brightness – Makes the ship bright outside (independent of colour).

Buoyancy – Makes it float on things when off.

Colour – Changes the colour of the ship holographically. Just don’t set it to human colours, I can’t UNSEE that… But I’m sure Sour Cream would love the Chamaeleon setting, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many colours! SO RAD!

Compass and Heading – Pretty sure that only works on Earth…

Dimensions – Surprisingly, it doesn’t really change the shape of the ship physically. I can still make the heels taller somehow… I’m just glad I wasn’t on the Mickey Ninaji setting when it was human coloured…

Eject Waste – WHY IS THERE even waste on the ship?

Expand – Makes the ship even bigger outside…

Gravity – For some reason there are negative settings… Good thing I was ‘strapped in’! I lowered the max from 500 G to 5 G just so I won’t become a pancake. Why do gems even need to have 500 G? They adapt to any gravity, so it would just turn loose items into bricks. I can also set G zones… Good thing I added gem verification to it; wouldn’t want Onion to get his hands on it…

Homing Missiles – Ok…

Hover – Like buoyancy, but fixes height.

Indicators and Lights – That’s just weird. But hey, it may come in handy for Earth traffic.

Metrics – Shows ship health (100%). As well as things like my heart rate and blood pressure…

Nothing Button – A button that does nothing…

Resistance – Turns it into a workout… Man, this ship is weird… BUT I LOVE IT!

Shininess – Makes the ship shinier…

Shrink – Makes the legs tiny from the outside… Not sure I want to know what happens if I get out with it activated.

SOS – Yeah, didn’t press that.

Smoke Screen – OMG, this is like a spy car!

Sound FX – Yeah, I can make the ship fart… Pretty sure that was Pink’s idea.

Speedometer – Not sure if it makes much sense with a Gravity Engine, but it’s good to know.

Temperature – What it says on the tin. Locked it to the default so I don’t die…

Tractor Beam – Either shoots out the back or the front… Inappropriate but useful…

Transparency – Makes the ship appear invisible from the inside. It just feels weird to look out like that though.

VFX – OH COOL! I can make flames shoot out of the feet!

Wake Neutraliser/Multiplier – Removes or enhances the wake left by the ship.

Water Cannon – JUST WHY?!


	2. Meeting the Maheswaran Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow and Priyanka have a lot more in common than they think. (Plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They were on the beach so you CAN’T say the Diamonds DON’T know who Connie’s parents are. But hey, they didn’t show any canon interaction between them and probably won’t anytime soon… So, here it is; Diamonds meets the parents of the bravest human girl who stops at nothing to be there for Steven. JAMBUDS 4 EVER!

Having left the Pearls in charge of Homeworld, the Diamonds set off for Earth in Blue Diamond’s arm. The Diamonds were awestruck as they descended through Earth’s atmosphere; the scene outside the viewport was simply breathtaking and full of colour. The rich blues of the ocean, lush greens of native vegetation and the contrasting yellows of the sand was a canvas of life that the Diamonds had only just began to appreciate thanks to Steven and his friends. The landing was smooth, and the Diamonds exited the craft to greet the welcoming party on the beach.

Standing there on the beach were Steven and his friend Connie, both waving excitedly from joy; next to them were two adults whom the Diamonds supposed were Connie’s parents. Although they had expected to see Stevonnie, this was by no means an unpleasant surprise; they were just happy to spend some time with them.

Connie greeted them as they approached, “Good afternoon, Blue, Yellow, and White Diamond. I apologise for not notifying you in advance, but I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to formally introduce my parents. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Good afternoon to you too Connie, you are looking positively radiant today, my dear,” White Diamond commented.

Connie blushed slightly and smiled in response as she gestured towards her parents.

The elder female approached and extended her hand to the golden gem.

“My name is Priyanka Maheswaran. Nice to meet you, I’ve heard many things about you; glad to see you could make it today. You can call me Doctor Maheswaran or just Doctor M. if that’s easier.”

Yellow Diamond tentatively held out a finger as the Doctor took it in her hand and gently shook it.

“Pleasure to meet you Doctor, I’m Yellow Diamond; but you can just call me Yellow.”

White approached next, “It is such an honour to meet you, and I am White Diamond.”

The Doctor chuckled and the elder male was the next to approach them.

“Thank you thinking so highly of us, your honour. I am Connie’s father. Name’s Doug.”

After he shook hands with Yellow and White, Blue Diamond finally approached.

“Sorry for causing so much trouble earlier. I am Blue Diamond, but you probably figured that out already. I formally apologise for the actions of the authority and hope that our relationship going forward will be a positive one.”

“We all make mistakes,” Doug said, “But recognition and change are the first steps towards becoming a better person.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” Blue Diamond said as she and the others finished shaking hands with the Maheswarans.

If Priyanka or Doug came across these beings just a few years ago, they would’ve probably fainted or just ogled at the realisation that aliens actually existed. But Steven has changed a lot of things, including their perception of family as well as things that he could do that they thought were impossible before. Steven had asked them to meet the Diamonds and to talk with them because Greg was ‘busy’. However, given what they’ve learned about Rose; they knew that both sides just felt awkward about meeting each other. They just weren’t ready yet and the Maheswarans could never say no to Steven’s puppy dog eyes and Connie’s plies – secretly, they wanted to meet the Diamonds too, but just felt rude to ask given the recent events.

 

“So, I think it’s about time we have a talk, parent to parent. I know gems don’t have parents but Pink really looked up to you like parents and I think we can relate to that,” The Doctor said.

Blue thought for a moment and replied, “I think it’s a good place to start; It would benefit us greatly on our journey of betterment. I am so thrilled that I can finally meet the people who raised such a magnificent daughter and all-round amazing person. We certainly wouldn’t be talking today if not for Connie. Her qualities are admirable and an inspiration to us all. Thank you for doing such an excellent job, Doctor.”

“We try our best. Now Steven, we can’t possibly expect our guests to STAND! So do whatever you need to do and make us comfortable or you’re not seeing Connie for a whole month young man,” Priyanka said with a wink.

Steven returned the dramatism with equal flair, “What will I do then??? The hiatus will be sure to consume me from the INSIDE! Please don’t do this to me Doctor Maheswaran, I’ll do anything! Please, I BEG YOUUUU!”

Connie chuckled at the exchange and the Diamonds give confused glances until they realised what was happening.

“’Pink’, if you don’t do as she says, we’ll take away your legs for a year. Blue and White thinks I should take it away for longer, so OBEY me OR ELSE!”

“Not my legs Yellow, ANYTHING BUT THAT!”

Steven protested in mock anger but soon he couldn’t keep up the façade and started laughing.

Calming himself down, he reached into his pockets and pulled out a device which looked much like a garage door opener. Before anyone could ask questions, he pressed the main button and told everyone to stay still. There was a pause and soon a structure began to emerge from the ground. The structure resembled a giant table with a ‘ramp’ on one side connecting the ground and its surface. There were chairs on each of the other sides for the Diamonds to sit in – Yellow, White, and Blue – on top was a smaller human sized table with its own chairs.

“This is amazing Starlight, now we can all chat comfortably. May I ask what this is?”

“Peridot calls it the Peri-Form. She said it was the optimal solution to removing height differences and allowing the Diamonds to talk ‘on the same level’ as human sized gems.” Steven explained.

“And it retracts into the sand when not in use to conserve space.” Yellow remarked.

“I’ll say; I think the author just wrote it for plot convenience.” Connie added.

“Yep, and the comfort level is adjustable too! It goes from ‘I can barely tell I’m sitting’ to ‘OMG this couch is SOOOOO comfy’ to ‘Snuggle Time’.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to try out the Snuggle Time setting later!” Blue exclaimed joyously.

The Maheswarans looked at the table and shrugged, they’ve seen weirder things. They walked around the back to where the ‘ramp’ is and could see an outline in the sand off to the side.

“Steven, please tell me this is not a teleporter or tractor beam…”

“Don’t worry Doctor Maheswaran; it’s just a Peri-levator.”

‘Those gems and their puns…’ Priyanka thought as she and her husband stepped onto the platform. Handles extended from the floor as the Peri-levator began to move. It was surprisingly smooth and fast.

Steven and Connie were still below on the sand when the Maheswarans got to the top of the Peri-Form and took a seat at the table on a table. The seats may look solid, but when they sat down; it felt anything but. It was like sitting on a cushion of air, air that was solid and tangible yet compliant at the same time.

As Blue and Yellow went to take their seats, White knelt down to Steven and Connie.

“Care to join us, Starlights? I think you’ll be a great help.”

Steven thought for a moment and offered his hand to Connie. Connie took Steven’s hand and began to walk towards the Peri-levator when White Diamond picked them both up in her hand. She carefully lifted them to face level and turned away from the table so she could kiss the precious children without embarrassing Connie in front of her parents. After she kissed both of the giggling kids, she turned back towards the table and placed them down as she took her seat. Priyanka and Doug exchanged confused glances before Doug patted the vacant chairs and beckoned them to come and seat. The blushing teens took their seats knowing full well that they would be smothered by even more love later. At the moment, all that mattered was helping the Diamonds and Connie’s Parents talk to each other. Steven and Connie exchanged glances of reassurance and both smiled as they readied themselves for probably one of the most awkward family meetings ever to take place.

 

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White gave everyone a smile once they were all seated and released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Let’s get started then. I’m sure you’re both very busy and we are very grateful that you’ve made time for us.”

Steven gave Yellow an encouraging smile which gave her the confidence needed to speak her heart.

“Everything we’ve done to Pink, it makes us feel so terrible,” Yellow solemnly stated, “We feel so guilty for not taking her seriously and treating her like one would a human child – not that she didn’t act like one, but the point still stands. We were TERRIBLE parents; I don’t know why she put up with us for so long. She tried to make us happy, but in the end it only made her suffer.”

“You did what you thought was right,” Priyanka replied, “We’ve made mistakes too.”

“How do you do it?” Blue asked, “How do you keep going after you’ve failed for so long?”

“We learn from our mistakes and move forward,” Doug answered, “Try and make amends, become a better person.”

It wasn’t immediately apparent to the Diamonds how the Maheswarans made mistakes with Connie, but they listened anyway out of respect.

“Gems emerge knowing their name and purpose – programmed to obey and never to question morality. It’s what we’ve expected for so long until Starlight came along. She was curious and always questioned everything – did things that none of us considered before; I guess in a way she really was a child. It took 6000 years of grief and nearly losing Steven to finally make us see the errors of our ways.”

“White Diamond,” Priyanka replied, “You don’t need to feel bad about it. We never questioned our parenting with Connie until that day at hospital with the sword.”

“Her skills are admirable indeed, you should be proud,” Blue complimented.

“When I started hanging out with Steven, I felt like I had to hide who he really was just so I could keep hanging out with him. When Alexandrite showed up to dinner with Mr. Universe, I was so embarrassed and afraid of losing what I had with Steven that we tried to run away together.”

“She thought we would disapprove when we found out about Steven’s ‘family’. However, after seeing the how the Crystal Gems and Greg dealt with Steven; our fears were invalidated – in the end, they care about Steven and that’s all that matters.”

“I guess we can relate to that,” Blue replied, “We were so harsh on Pink and she felt like she had no other option but to hide who she really was to make us happy. We punished her every time she tried to be herself and pushed her away from us. When she stood up to us and asked us to spare the Earth, we just ignored her. She thought we didn’t care and…”

A tear began forming on Blue Diamond’s eyes and White quickly placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down before she could release her aura.

“Now, now, Moonbeam. You and Sunbeam weren’t the only ones to blame. I am partly to blame as well, I made you feel like you had to do as I say and set a bad example for you. You were only hard on Starlight because I was hard on you and you thought it was the right thing to do. We know better now don’t we?”

Blue sniffled and smiled. They can’t afford to get stuck in the past now, Steven has helped them so much; the least they could do is stay strong and move towards a brighter future.

“We used to have this thing called the punishment abacus; Connie HATED it whenever we used it. It may look like a simple device at first glance, but many have suspected it harboured supernatural properties. Legends say it is able to summon the most accursed of punishers – even Cursed Pearl herself cannot wield the power within…”

“MOM! It was just an abacus!”

“That it may be; but when I found the sword, I could hear the abacus calling to me. Connie feared the power of the punishment abacus, it was why she never told us about Steven healing her eyes or learning how to use a sword.”

“That is… Surprisingly relatable,” Yellow remarked, “We were all about obeying rules and punishing those who disobeyed. I’d imagine that if I was in your place, things would’ve gone a lot worse – you should be thankful for the outcome.”

“I almost went through with it too if it weren’t for Steven. When I saw the determination and courage in Connie’s eyes, and Steven’s kindness and compassion; I just couldn’t say no. I knew I had to relax the rules and stop the punishments if I didn’t want to lose Connie. The way they looked each other in the eyes and the co-ordination between them; I could never take that away from them.”

“It is undeniable that there is an unspoken bond between Steven and Connie that words alone can’t define.” Yellow continued, “Throughout this whole arc, Connie has been there right alongside Steven; helping him and supporting him when in need. They alone kick-started the revolution and through it all, they’ve never given up on each other. She was the one who reunited Steven’s halves and inspired us to speak up to White. To see a human keep up like that, it was mind-changing. For millennia, we thought of humans as nothing but lesser beings; but it is clear now that they’ve been the catalyst of change since the dawn of the colonisation. It was life on Earth that ignited the righteousness in Pink, it was because of love that she made the ultimate sacrifice, and now; it was the unspoken bond and caring between human and gem that allowed us to finally see the light.”

“At first I saw Connie as a ‘pet’,” Blue shamefully admitted, “I thought it was just another one of Pink’s ‘games’; but I was wrong. So different, yet similar at the same time; both liked fun and games, but Steven and Connie were bolder than Pink ever was. Untainted by millennia of punishing and conditioning, they held strong under pressure and changed our minds. Their boldness lifted the veil in front of our eyes and allowed us to see the truth. The bond they share is truly special, and we’ll be sure to treasure it greatly.”

“Well said Moonbeam, they really are a gift to us all. However, I can’t say we don’t regret some of our actions and I’m certain you have regrets too.”

Doug looked around to see who White was addressing but found everyone staring at him instead. He calmed his nerves and spoke, “It is true that we wished some things would’ve gone differently, but we can’t change anything now and I won’t know where to start. Sure we could’ve been nicer to Connie from the beginning and invested more in her relationship with Steven from the get go; but who knows how differently things would’ve turned out. For better or for worst, this is the outcome we got and I wouldn’t change it for one bit. Without her experience with us, this arc would’ve probably ended badly.”

“It is unsettling to think how differently events could’ve transpired.” Blue said thoughtfully, “While we do regret our treatment of Pink; we wouldn’t be here without Steven. Sitting here right now, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. The scars on the healed gems, the shattered and broken gems, the cluster, and the eons I spent in mourning; they all serve as a reminder of what not to do. You may think we’re selfish, but like killing Rudolf Zitler wouldn’t solve anything – without mistakes, one can’t learn. We are only better people because of experience. I don’t think White would be here today if Pink were still alive. Even if she could’ve created Steven without giving up her gem and Steven’s use of gem powers, things wouldn’t be any better. Without the loss of Pink, we would just see Steven as an extension of Pink instead of as his own person.”

“And I wouldn’t have changed for the better,” White added, “Rest assured, the mistakes will not be in vein. They will be a reminder to us to never repeat history and live for a brighter future. Eons from now, gems will be reading about us in the history books, never having to experience the horrors first-hand and make the same mistakes we did. The sacrifices and suffering will not be forgotten or be relegated to a footnote; they will guide us to greatness and glory. We will be the light that the universe can look up to for help, and bring happiness and joy for all. By remembering our mistakes, we will ensure that we never stray from the path of righteousness again.”

The humans on the Peri-Form all clapped at the amazing speech. Steven was beaming and Connie gave the Diamonds an earnest smile. They were both proud of what the Diamonds had achieved so far; however, the Diamonds still had one more thing to say about them in front of the Maheswarans.

“I trust you will take care of my precious Starlights when we aren’t around, Doctor. We may be free now, but I’m sure we’ll be busy later. So it would mean the world to me if you promise to take care of them. While the bond that Steven and Connie share with each other is truly a gift; I do understand that humans require a maternal parental figure who understands them. I am not saying the Crystal Gems aren’t great ‘moms’, it’s just that I would feel much better if Starlight could have someone he feels comfortable talking to. I don’t know what the future holds, Doctor Maheswaran; but I do know that it won’t be easy. There will be days when Steven just needs a mother to talk to and be there to comfort him. I understand that you may have reserves about this, but I’m certain you feel close to Steven already. I ask that you accept him as one of your own and to support him and Connie no matter what.”

Priyanka nodded and agreed, “That I certainly can do, Steven is a sweet boy and I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

Doug checked his watches (yes, plural) and gasped, “Great Scott! Honey, we have to get back to work! We’re out-atime!!! Quick, hurry! Um, nice meeting you Yellow, White, and Blue; we have to go, see you later!”

“Not a problem, take care!” Blue waved.

“It was nice meeting someone I could relate to.” Yellow stated.

“Glad to help out Yellow, we should talk more next time. By the way Steven, thanks for inviting us.”

 

“Have fun Connie sweetheart, I love you.”

“Love you too, mom.”

“This station is all yours Madam.”

“Love you too dad, see ya!”

 

Feeling a little left out, Steven jumped out of his seat and hugged Doctor Maheswaran. “Have a great day, Doctor Mom-Maheswaran! I love you.”

The woman chuckled at this display of affection, ruffled the boy’s hair, and kissed him on the forehead.

“Aww, Steven. I love you too.”

“YAY, NEW MOM!”

Everyone giggled as the Maheswarans left for another work shift.

 

“Steven you goof. Don’t ever change, Biscuit.”

“I won’t fail you, Strawberry.”

 

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After the teens released all of their awkward tension, they got back up and took a seat at the table table. Steven set the comfort level to ‘Snuggle Time’ and immediately euphoria was evident on their faces. The Diamonds have never felt so comfortable sitting before and could not help but smile.

“Now it’s fit for Diamonds.” Yellow said.

“We must fit this technology to all rest centres; our gems deserve the best.” Blue added.

“Starlight this is simply divine. Though I must ask Connie…”

 

“Why the Crystal Gems trusts you enough to leave us alone with you?” Connie finished.

“Exactly, we’ve barely had any interactions with them. They shouldn’t leave us with you unsupervised, what if you two get hurt?” White fretted, “What if something human happens to you and we don’t know what to do? Why are they OKAY WITH THIS?”

Noticing the increasing distress on the luminescent Diamond, Connie decided to take action before things got out of hand. She approached the Diamond and slowly caressed one of her fingers with her hand.

“White, it’s okay,” Connie reassured as White slowly relaxed, “Steven told them it would be fine.”

Yellow chuckled, “Of course. Who could say no to him? We sure couldn’t.”

Connie smiled and continued, “He is _pretty_ persuasive.”

Steven pouted, “Except Lion, he seems to like Connie more. He never listens to me.”

The girl placed her hand on Steven’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, “Lion still loves you Steven, even if it doesn’t look like it.”

“But he hangs around you ALL THE TIME! And he always listens to you!”

“Only because I give him the best hugs and lots of love; he knows you care about me and what is a girl without her magical animal guardian?”

Steven thought for a moment and suddenly the realisation hit him like the weight of the Diamond Mecha Ship. Lion was protecting his family and friends – people whom Steven love with all his heart, people he didn’t want to see get hurt.

“I guess you’re right, I can’t believe I’ve never thought about it this way before. Oh Lion, I’m sorry for not realising sooner. I need to make up for lost time! He needs to know I love him and appreciate him.”

“And I will be there to help you, after all, who can turn down hugs from Lion?”

“You’re the best Connie!”

“No Steven, you are.”

“Let’s just agree you’re equally the best, Starlights; or we’ll be here all week.”

 

“Anyway, back to Lion,” Connie continued while ignoring the growing blushes on her and Steven’s faces, “If anything happens, Lion will be here in a flash.”

“Yeah, he always knows when I’m in trouble and shows up at the right time,” Steven added. “I don’t know how he does it, but I can’t even tell you how many times he has saved my bacon.”

“I guess if he thinks our Starlights are fine then it’ll probably be okay,” White deduced.

Steven smiled as everyone relaxed. Things were going to go well and nothing would go wrong, whatever the looming discussion held; they would get through it together.

 


	3. Stevonnie Back Together – Jambuds are Stronger Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie bond with the Diamonds. (Plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are we going to get a canon Stevonnie meets the Maheswarans? I dunno, but hey; the Diamonds already know who Stevonnie is... So yeah, this is what you get. I’ll address whether or not Connie’s parents know about or has met Stevonnie in this chapter.

Although the author has started to doubt their ability in delivering mega loads of fluff, neither the teens nor the Diamonds showed a hint of concern. They were confident their love would carry him through the writing process.

Nonetheless, everyone present was glad to finally get some proper bonding time thanks to the author – a thankless hero doing the thankless work of writing fanfic the fandom so desperately needs, but is so very lacking in. Someone had to do it, and if no one else will; he figured he’d tackle the task himself!

 

“Steven,” Blue cooed, “I don’t believe we’ve properly spent time with you and Connie at all!”

Yellow nodded in agreement and beckoned the teens to come closer, “Come here, it’s about time we showed our love for you.”

The kids moved closer to the Diamonds and summoned a couch to sit on. Blue Diamond leaned down to face level with the kids and kissed them on their faces, earning a giggle from Yellow and a blush from Steven.

“Oh Steven, you are just so cute and adorable; we are so lucky to have you,” Blue complimented, “You always try to help others and never give up. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Blue was not about to let Connie feel left out, because she loved her dearly as well. Blue was full of love and the kids would have all of it!

“And you Connie, you are so brave and strong. I just adore the way you and Steven work together so well and care so deeply for each other.”

Connie blushed at the compliment and Blue smiled at the sight; they may not be Pink, but stars, were they precious and adorable just the same. Blue reached out and picked up both of the teens. Slowly bringing them to her face, she began to smother them both in a hug – or rather, just smooshing them and pressing them into her face. Their muffled protests faded as they relented into the embrace, arms opened up wide and hugging the face of the Azure Gem.

“I love you, Blue.”

“Your face is surprisingly huggable!”

“I love you both so much,” Blue exclaimed as she deepened the smoosh and let out an aura of joy.

“Mmm… Blue… I… can’t… brea..the!”

“I… can’t… go… mmm... not… like this!”

“Oh, sorry,” Blue said as she pulled back, “You’re just so huggable!”

After Blue set the kids down, she sat back as the other Diamonds had their turn. Yellow was not one for hugs, but she would make an exception for Steven and Connie – they were just too precious to NOT hug!

‘One step at a time Yellow, can’t unnerve the kids; let them feel comfortable first,’ Yellow mentally told herself as she reached down and ruffled Steven’s hair.

“Who’s the sweetest boy? You are! Yes, who is just the cutest?”

“Me!” Steven said as he took in the love – it wasn’t demeaning at all as he loved the attention and knew what Yellow said was true and from her heart.

As Yellow continued ruffling the boy’s hair, she inadvertently let loose a burst of electricity as she was overwhelmed by joy. She quickly realised this and thought of the worse, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Steven just laughed it off.

“Ye…llll…ooooo…wwwwww! It tttiiicccck….kkkkllllllleeeeeessssss.”

Realising Steven wasn’t actually in danger, Yellow breathed a sigh of relief, “I almost though I’d destabilise you there Steven. I guess it makes sense that you’re immune to the effects of being destabilised given you’re half human.”

Steven just shrugged and tidied his fizzled hair, “Doesn’t mean I can’t get hurt.”

“And that’s why we’ll protect you,” Yellow replied as she kissed Steven.

Connie moved in next to Steven as she too craved the attention from Steven’s; no, her new family. While some characterised herself as someone who would find Steven’s increasing ‘collection’ of ‘moms’ strange or slightly annoying; in truth, she found it an endearing trait and loved being a part of it.

Yellow reached out and gently brushed Connie’s hair with her finger, earning a soft smile from the girl.

“Your hair is so soft Connie. It’s amazing.”

“Oh thanks Yellow, ma’am; it’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”

“Good to know _someone_ takes pride in their appearance,” Yellow remarked as she looked at Steven’s sandals, “your choice of footwear is unbecoming of a young Diamond hybrid and sets a bad example for kids to follow.”

“I know,” the boy shamefully admitted, “proper foot support, blah, blah. Dr Maheswaran already told me.”

“But it is a distinctive style, so I suppose I’ll let it slide for the time being.” Yellow continued, “It won’t stop us from loving you Steven, but I can’t promise we won’t make jokes about it.”

“That’s fair.” Steven admitted as Yellow returned her gaze to Connie.

“You know Connie, you’ve made me realise something.”

“What is it?” The girl asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“You are beautiful inside and out. For so long, our views on organics have blinded us to their beauty.” Yellow said as Connie blushed from the compliment, “Steven may be cute and adorable; but you are smart, brave, dedicated, and simply amazing all round.”

Upon seeing the girl’s reaction, Yellow couldn’t help but feel a warmth spreading throughout her form; a warmth that was missing for so long but has now returned more-er than ever. In fact, she didn’t even notice the sparks of electricity on the tips of her fingers.

Connie didn’t even notice it at first, but it soon got incredibly tingly; looking up, she found out why – Yellow’s powers. As she giggled from the effects, she thanked the stars that Yellow’s powers were ‘safe’ on humans – because it was fun!

Although Steven seemed concerned, Connie’s laughter was reassuring; she was enjoying it.

“Hehe, it ticklesssss……”

Yellow just shrugged as she withdrew her hand; Connie may be enjoying herself, but Yellow still felt odd about seeing pleasure being derived from powers she normally used to punish.

The girl straightened her hair and joined Steven in hugging Yellow’s torso, earning a smile from the golden gem. The Diamond returned the gesture and smiled contently. She was pleasantly surprised when Blue and White joined in by hugging her sides. It felt odd at first, but she soon found it irresistible when it was so enjoyable and comforting.

 

**###** **An Awkward Moment Later** **###**

 

“Sunbeam, it is my turn; the readers are getting impatient.”

“Right,” Yellow said as she and the kids pulled away.

White repositioned herself so she would be closer to her precious Starlights – finally glad to get some much needed ‘screen time’ and fluff.

 

“Steven, you are just so precious.” White complimented as she bent down to kiss the boy, “You mean more to us than everything else in the cosmos because we are only happy because of you.”

“And you too Connie, you and Steven mean so much to each other and seeing that just makes us even happier,” White continued as she kissed Connie, causing both of the teens to blush, “You mean just as much to us as Steven and you’re family to us too dear. We love you both so much.”

Seeing the kids smile and lower their guard, White decided now was the time for the ‘attack’…

She moved her fingers close to the kids and began to tickle them with the tips of her nails. The kids immediately started laughing uncontrollably and it only caused the Diamond to intensify her ‘assault’.

“There is no retreat Starlights, I will not stop unless you bow to my will. Feel the POWER of the MIGHTY WHITE DIAMOND!”

Blue and Yellow looked on in amusement as the joyous laughter infected them all and tempted them to join in. White was genuinely smiling – perhaps more than ever – and couldn’t help but laugh herself when the Bicolour Diamonds decided to tickle her as ‘punishment’.

“SSuunnnnbeeeeeaaaammm, Moooooooonnnnbeeeaaammmm. Cuuuutttttt iiitttt ouuuuttttt!”

“Never,” they replied in unison, “this is fun.”

The Luminous Diamond gave a small humph as she continued tickling the kids; all the while struggling to contain her own laugher.”

“Wwwwhhhhhhhiiiiiiiittttttttttteeeeeeeeeee!”

“I… caaaaannn’ttt tttaaakkkkeee iittt aaannnyyyy mmooooooooorrreeeeeee!”

 

The protests were futile, for White was determined to keep going unless they ‘submitted’. Sensing this, the kids decided to change tactics – if White wants submission, she’s going to get it. They waited for the perfect opportunity and jumped to hug the wrists of the larger gem, leaving her unable to tickle them while she was being tickled herself.

Struggling to compose herself, White admitted defeat, “Alright, Starlights… I give up! You win… You can stop now!”

However, neither the kids nor her fellow Diamonds stopped their attacks; in fact, Blue and Yellow moved in to hug White – secretly hoping to elicit another blush from her. Moments passed as the grand diamond attempted to keep a poker face, but fail she did – she was blushing pink again.

“We love you!” they said in unison, which caused White to blush even harder.

In fact, her whole face was now bright pink. Everyone giggled at the sight and released the embrace before her whole body could turn pink and giving her an excuse for ‘revenge’.

White smiled as her blush faded and returned to simply enjoying the company of her family.

 

“That was lovely, my darlings. Although I have to ask Starlights, why weren’t you fused earlier?”

“You certainly seem to enjoy yourself(s),” Blue added.

“It is strange that you would forgo something which brings you so much joy and happiness,” Yellow commented.

 

Steven and Connie exchanged nervous glances as if to give reassurance to each other. After the shared moment, the girl spoke up, “Weelllllll…”

“Go on,” Blue prompted, “We love you either way and fusion is your choice; we would never judge you for it. We just want to know, because…”

“…we care,” Yellow finished.

“And anybody who denies your choice will have to answer to us.”

Sensing the direction this was going in, Steven stepped in before they could go full ‘diamond mom mode’.

“NO, NO! Calm down, White; it’s really nothing to be worried about.”

“It is just because…” Connie stammered, “I don’t think my parents know about Stevonnie yet…”

“Oh. _That_.”

“Yeah, I’m not quite sure how they’d react. Probably best to let it happen when it does though; I’d rather not derail this fic or have the writer apply WAY too much head-canon.”

“I can see how the prospect would be unnerving, given how Blue and I had reacted at the ball.”

Steven and Connie rubbed the backs of their heads and gave an awkward sigh. Although the Maheswarans seemed rather accepting and supportive to the Diamonds given their interaction; they knew all too well how much of a shock such a revelation might be – even if it was for completely different reasons.

Connie whispered something to Steven as he blushed and used his finger to block his ears. The gesture confused the Diamonds as they thought the kids shared everything – what could Connie say that Steven would be embarrassed enough about to rather not hear?

“So…” Connie whispered as she beckoned the Diamonds to come closer, “you know how human _reproduction_ works right?”

“Of course, we did our resea…” They whispered a reply as the realisation hit them like an asteroid, “OH DEAR…”

“Obviously, Biscuit and I aren’t like _that_. But you can’t help dirty minds… Steven is a cinnamon roll and I wouldn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. He deserves to relax, not worry about things like that.”

The Diamonds nodded and exchanged glances of understanding with the girl as she signalled for Steven to open his ears again.

Wanting to change the subject, the boy spoke up, “So, about what you are here for…” 

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

“So you’ve been thinking about the origins of gems.” Connie said matter-of-factly as the Diamonds nodded, “This might be hard…”

“Well, gems are made in Kindergartens by absorbing the ‘life force’ around it,” Steven recalled, “and emerge fully formed…”

“But other than that, everything else is speculation…”

“Wait a minute; are Diamonds also made in Kindergartens? What about Pearls? I’m fairly sure Pink made the Pebbles…”

“Hmm,” Connie scratched her chin in thought, “That does complicate things… They are good questions… WAIT, does it matter if Diamonds are made differently?”

“And gems are so BIG… How does that work?”

“I know, right!” Yellow remarked, “Some gems don’t even have the same properties as natural ‘Earth’ gems! Some gems in the show clearly do things that would damage their inert counterparts; not to mention gems that aren’t really gemstones at all!”

“Yeah, we have metals like Bismuth…”

“AND Pyrite!” Steven added, “Pink even named a batch Fool’s Gold!”

“Did humans get the name from Pink or did they arrive at the name independently? Are there Gold gems?”

The Diamonds just shrugged, because they honestly had no idea – all this just raised more questions.

“And some gems are results of organic processes on Earth… Like Pearls…, ‘fan’ gems like Coral and Ammolite… Not to mention all the laws of physics – as we know anyway – that gems seem to break! Most importantly, the very definition of Earth gems is so loose that applying them to you would violate just about every rule about ACADEMICS! Where do I even start? Is it EVEN BIOLOGY? EVOLUTION? At least humans have fossils to study, but gems are immortal and it’s not like some gem historian will just show up and tell us! That would undermine everything about the show!”

“We can’t lose the MAGIC!” Steven exclaimed, “It’s all we have!”

Sensing the distress in the teens, the Diamonds tried their best to reassure them.

“STEVEN!” Yellow shouted to grab the boy’s attention.

“CONNIE!”

Hearing the Diamonds call their names, they stopped their frantic pacing and sat back down.

“Listen Starlights, even if that happens; we still have wholesome values and lots of love. Just let Rebecca work her magic.”

“White is right, maybe you should take a break. Step back and collect your thoughts, it always helps me.”

“Just relax and enjoy yourselves, tell us more about yourself; we would love to hear about it.”

“So Starlights, tell us about your interests; I hear it’s a good conversation starter.”

Steven chuckled as he thought about where White could’ve possibly learnt that (along with all the stuff she knew on the ship). White being sensitive and caring; this is just what the fandom needs, and he didn’t mind it one bit – neither did Connie.

“I like reading books and playing the violin. There is just something about using your imagination to make words come alive, the thrill and excitement of flipping the pages…”

“AH, yes, human literature. Most fascinating indeed,” Yellow remarked, “I’ve read some and stars, there are some real _gems_ out there. You know, we appreciate a good instrument and a violin is clearly one of them.”

“So Starlight, what about you?”

“Well, ever since Connie introduced me to reading, I just can’t put them down! They are SO GOOD! And oh! I LOVE playing my ukulele. Sometimes I even play with Connie, that’s why we are…”

“Jam…”

“Buds!”

“That sounds lovely,” Blue commented, “How about dancing? I’m sure that wasn’t your best at the Ball.”

“Yeah,” the kids said as they rubbed the backs of their necks, “that was just because we felt awkward.”

“Care to show us? We didn’t exactly have the best view there. Besides, I’m sure you have got some nice moves. You really should go out more you know, OWN those dance floors.”

Steven and Connie giggled and nodded in agreement, it was time to show the Diamonds what REAL dancing is.

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

Steven pulled out the ‘remote’ and pressed a button on it, causing a phone dock and speakers to appear out of the ground as well as turning the surface of the Peri-Form into a dance floor of sorts.

The boy pulled up a playlist on his phone, connected it to the dock and turned back to his jambud.

“Shall we, m’lady?”

“I’d LOVE to m’sir!”

With that, he hit the play button giggling and slow waltz music began to play.

Steven led Connie to the dance floor and began to do a slow waltz. They blushed as they positioned their hands and began to move in sync to the music. Step, step, twirl. Another two steps and a dip. Step, step, twirl. They continued dancing to the slow music with the diamonds watching, switching roles every so often. Even though Steven was the shorter of the two, he did his best to dip Connie as gracefully as he could. The diamonds watched on, entranced by the beauty and elegance of the dancing. The girl had no trouble leading in the dance as she dipped and twirled the boy around, causing both to smile deeply. Knowing that they won’t be judged, they let go of all their reserves as the song ended and the next one began – the song that started it all.

The transition to a quicker tempo was smooth as both teens progressed to freeform. Blue, Yellow, and even White was swaying gently with the song as they watched the teens dance, unable to resist the pull of the music. There was no stumbling this time as Steven and Connie danced away. A few spins here, a few dabs there, and just all round freeform enjoyment of themselves. A pink glow surrounded them as they moved and spun together. Soon, they mere inches from each other, dancing together as the glow intensified. As the glow reached its maximum intensity, the diamonds could barely see anything. Joyous laughter was heard as the glow faded, where the two danced now stood one.

Stevonnie felt such joy and happiness as they came together, that they didn’t realise they had fused; continuing dancing as if nothing happened. When the song finished, they looked down at themselves and grinned. Looking up, they saw the Diamonds smiling at them.

“Oh, HEY BLUE! Hey YEELLLOOOOWWW! Heya White!”

“STEVONNIE!”

“STARLIGHT!”

“Well don’t stop now!”

“Just wait for it Yellow, SC says it’ll know your socks off!”

 

Although Yellow was certain such a thing wasn’t even possible; the flawed idiom did have its charm. What followed was nothing short of spectacular; even they were amazed at the intensity of Sour Cream’s beats. Stevonnie was dancing like nothing they had seen before, and they loved every moment of it. Their hands and body were now moving almost non-stop, every beat signalling a new dance move. Even when their hands weren’t moving, they were hugging themselves and grinning widely.

Jumps, twirls, spins, backflips, front flips; you name it they did it. Gem powers really opened up the possibilities for dancing. Who would breakdance on the floor when you could do it in mid-air!? (They did both, but found mid-air breakdancing to be just too pretentious.) After ‘only’ a dozen more songs, they decided it was enough and slowed down to stop the playlist. They had checked off headspin, all of AJ’s moves, and just narrowly avoided twerking to Massasauga by Mickey Ninaji – Amethyst is NOT getting away this time, trying to soil their purity like that; shame on her!

The diamonds were all compliments as Stevonnie returned to sitting on the couch.

“Oh, Stevonnie, that was AMAZING!”

“Oh Starlight, that was just wonderful. You’re so talented!”

“That was certainly different, but enjoyable nonetheless. We have to meet this Sour Cream later, I NEED THOSE BEATS! I HAVE NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!”

“Woah, Yellow. Calm down, I promise I’ll get you some beats. I’m just not sure you could handle all that so soon…”

“What do you mean, Stevonnie?”

“Well, his little brother Onion was one of the people Aquamarine abducted. I know they don’t hold grudges, but TRUST ME, even on a normal day Onion isn’t someone you just go up to. Steven is friends with Onion, but I don’t think I’m ready to explain myself yet. I don’t want him getting any ideas and well, he might just make you question your own sanity – no offense, but you DO NOT want to be the one to find out he’s a secret gem experiment or something.”

“What does Onion have to do with Sour Cream?”

“Yellow, Onion pretty much does his own thing and hangs out wherever, whenever, and with whoever; he might just use Sour Cream as an excuse to finally defeat you or steal your ship!”

“Starlight, I can assure you that he isn’t as dark as you think he is. By the way, DON’T ask! I’m CERTAINLY not Onion in disguise!”

“It’s okay White, I believe you.”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

Everyone was relieved as they narrowly avoided derailing this fic AGAIN. The increasing level of self-awareness only served to chronicle the writer’s descent into madness as he refrained himself from ‘summoning’ the ‘accursed’ – one does not simply write about Onion interacting with gems and leave with your soul intact! Once you go there you WILL NEVER GO BACK; you will be consumed by the urge to write the most obscure and obscene fanfics.

“Okay writer, you can calm down. I will not let that happen on my watch or my name isn’t White Diamond. Don’t make me address you again for you will regret using so many wall breaks.”

 

Genuinely interested in spending time with their favourite fusion, the diamonds continued. Each of them had something to say and do with Stevonnie and they would all get their turn.

Blue was first again, perhaps feeling a little guilty about her reaction at the ball.

“Stevonnie, it is so good to see you in person again. I’m sorry our last meeting wasn’t the best but now we can start over!”

Stevonnie smiled at her and said reassuringly, “It’s okay Mom-Blue, we-I forgive you.”

Upon hearing this, Blue bent down and scooped Stevonnie into a hug after kissing their face.

“Oh, thank you! I love you SO MUCH! You’re just so wonderful Stevonnie.”

“Thanks,” Stevonnie replied sheepishly as they returned the hug.

Being bigger meant that the hug came much more naturally and they didn’t struggle to breath as much. However, this did not stop their blushing; it only served to make it more obvious. Blue continued peppering them in kisses in between hug squeezes. Stevonnie felt so different from Steven or Pink and yet, felt familiar all the same.

“Stevonnie, you are so beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, and all round amazing – not to mention being SO ADORABLE! I don’t know how you can fuse, but I DON’T CARE! You’re here and we are happy for you. Steven is cute but you are just SO MUCH MORE! How can one NOT love you? I don’t want to sound selfish, but it would make us all SO happy if you could be you all the time.”

She was quite surprised when Stevonnie kissed them back on the face.

“I’d love to be myself all the time too! But Steven and Connie have to figure some things out first, and they still have some growing up to do. Don’t worry though; you’ll be seeing more of me around.”

“I’ll be looking forward to every moment of it,” Blue replied as she put Stevonnie back down.

 

With the confidence they had as themselves, Stevonnie sought to answer the looming question regarding Yellow’s ‘hair’. ‘Is it even hair?’ They thought, ‘Or is it a helmet? No, no; that’s silly. Crewniverse said it’s hair… Still…’

Stopping short of having another conversation with themselves, they jumped up with a flutter kick and landed on top of whatever was at the top of Yellow’s head.

“HEY YELLOW, oomph. Is this hair…?”

“Yes, for the last time! You don’t ask Garnet or Peridot if their hair is hair!”

“Sorry Yellow, I just really wanted to do THIS!”

Yellow giggled as Stevonnie jumped and bounced on her hair like a giant jumping castle. She silently thanked herself for listening to Garnet’s advice – hair or not, it didn’t matter – learning how to make her light projection soft was worth it. Even though she could not see the childishly giddy fusion, their joyous laughter and silly squeals warmed her very gem.

“WEEEEEE…”

“This is SO FUN! It’s like Garnet’s hair BUT SO MUCH BETTER!”

“So fluffy and squishy but also so… on point!”

“That’s the idea,” Yellow replied as Stevonnie continued using her hair as a playground, not stopping even when they went from bouncing to just lying on it.

“It’s so… comfy!”

“I could just stay here all day!”

“Come down here you little rascal, don’t think you can escape our love!”

“Catch me if you can!”

“If you think you can win against me, you’re dearly mistaken _PINK_!”

“HEY! I have a name!” Stevonnie replied in fake annoyance and humphed as they started running around on top of Yellow’s ‘hair-met’. It was much harder than they thought as Yellow kept shifting her hair and made every step impossible to predict; yet they never came close to tripping or anything – Yellow made sure of that. Yellow reached up and grabbed them when she decided enough was enough.

“Got you!”

“Yep, you got me!”

 

Stevonnie had admitted defeat and was now at the whim of the repressed love from the diamond. Yellow give the fusion a kiss and hugged them tightly as she spoke her heart.

“You know Stevonnie, Pink used to annoy me so much. I had hated it at the time, but with you, it’s different. You are much more mature than she ever was, yet at the same time more lovable and cute. What I mean to say is… You make me happier than Pink ever could and I can’t thank the universe enough for this!”

Tears had formed in her eyes, happy tears.

“I love you Mommy-Yellow,” Stevonnie replied as they kissed the golden diamond.

A warm fuzzy feeling spread through their core as they fulfilled their yearning for a(nother) mother figure they didn’t realise they had before.

“I love you too,” Yellow said as she put Stevonnie back down and wondered how their hair felt.

She was pleasantly surprised when she finally made contact with the fusion’s gorgeous, fluffy, and seemingly magical hair. It wasn’t like either Steven or Connie’s hair; it was something more. She gently brushed the hair as she struggled to describe it. It kept its shape much better than the hair of either of their components and it was soft, VERY soft. Even when Yellow tried to ruffle their hair, it just sprung back like magic. Logic alone did not explain it, Stevonnie was only a quarter gem and yet, their hair felt as magical – if not more so than a gem’s. It had weight and substance to it unlike Pink’s hair, but it also behaved in ways impossible for humans. Somehow, it always stayed in place and snapped back in shape; never blocking their eyes or straying from its awe-inspiring form.

Yellow was completely mesmerised (again) when she did it again. If she was aware of her actions she might’ve thought something along the lines of ‘Oh stars, what if it hurts Stevonnie?’

However, she wasn’t paying attention, and that was a good thing – it meant Stevonnie would get their ‘punishment’ for earlier (even if they enjoyed it).

Stevonnie burst out giggling as gem electricity passed through their body. It wasn’t like receiving a regular electric shock, however, as it wasn’t invisible and didn’t cause spasms or twitches given the intensity – it was just tingly.

“Yelloww! It tingles… SO MUCH!”

“Oops…” Yellow remarked as she observed their reaction and withdrew her hand, “Huh, you like it don’t you?”

Stevonnie gave her a gentle smile as they checked their hair – it wasn’t even messed up! Having magical hair is nice; if only Connie’s hair was like this.

 

“Starlight!” White exclaimed, “Come here you!”

Bending down, she peppered them with kisses all over their face.

“MOM! I’ve got drool on me now!”

“You can’t escape my love, you know it! It’s all part of being authentic!”

“Gross…” Stevonnie giggled, “You need to stop listening to Amethyst; one of these days she’ll give you a REALLY bad idea that you’ll regret.”

The diamond just shrugged, “Can’t be any worse than making sure my cutest most precious little Starlight gets all the love they deserve!”

“Well I love you too.” Stevonnie replied as they blushed.

It was really a cute look on them and White could not pass up the chance. She picked them up with her hands and brought them in for a hug. Stevonnie let out a gasp as they relented into the hug, all the while blushing HARD. Feeling the warmth on her form, White simply smiled and enjoyed the moment as the fusion kissed her. She was blushing now; but that didn’t matter, everything would be ok. Stevonnie is here and together nothing can stop them.

“So Stevonnie, just _how_ ticklish are you?” White asked as she set them down.

“Not tickles!” Stevonnie protested.

Ignoring their plies, White began her ‘assault’ once more. Even before her nails touched the fusion, they were already giggling. ‘This would be easy.’ White thought. Somehow, Stevonnie was much more ticklish than their components and White used this to her advantage. She quickly found that Starlight’s sides and tummy were particularly vulnerable.

“You know, being bigger just means I can tickle more of you!”

“Nooo… please…”

“You’re much too adorable like this.”

The other Diamonds watched on as White continued tickling Stevonnie who couldn’t stop laughing and blushing. They couldn’t help but laugh themselves as the fusion was becoming overwhelmed; their exposed midriff was just too good an opportunity for White to ignore. Soon, Stevonnie’s gem started glowing and a joyous aura filled them all.

“Hey, my gem’s glowing! What’s happeninnggggg?”

“Honey, it just means you’re happy,” Blue replied, “Pink used to do it all the time. It’s nothing to worry about. Didn’t the gems tell you…”

“Nope,” they replied between laughs, “Pearl said Steven glowed once when he was a babyyyy… but that was it. I think it’s a Diamond thing? Pearl wouldn’t have been able to say anythingggg…”

“Well, us Diamonds have the ability to project auras. Yours is joy and love.” Yellow added, “And White, stop that or you two might just end up fusing. The author does not have the mental budget for THAT!”

“This glowing isn’t going to hurt you or make you unfuse.” White whispered in Stevonnie’s ear to reassure them as she withdrew her hand.

“We know mom,” they whispered back, “Well done on the tickling, ma’am.”

White simply smiled and beamed.

 

**###** **A little while later** **###**

 

“Weeeeee!!!!!!” Stevonnie squealed as they flew through the air, “YIPPEEEEEE!!!”

Yellow and White had agreed to play ‘baby’ games with them and decided that airplane / baby tosses would be most enjoyable.

“This is fun!”

“UP you go!”

“I’m flying!”

“No Starlight, it’s falling with _style_! THIS is flying.”

“WOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

Blue winced as Stevonnie ascended higher and higher – although they were giggling and having fun, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“MY BABY! Don’t worry, I’ll catch you!”

Frantically moving her hands around, Blue attempted to catch the ‘falling’ fusion. However, midway through the fall, they simply stopped in the air – oh, right; they can float. Stevonnie waved to Blue and continued the fall into her hands.

Blue was immediately in tears when she caught them, “Oh thank the stars you’re alright, you could get hurt playing like that! What were Yellow and White thinking? Let’s do something a bit safer.”

“Mom-Blue…”

Adjusting her grip, Blue held Stevonnie with both hands and began to fly them around like a toy airplane as she made airplane noises.

“Vrrooommmm…”

“UUU Airways flight Papa Delta Sierra Charlie to ground; we are now at cruising altitude.”

“Roger UUU Papa Delta, this is air traffic control, be advised that there is some TURBULENCE AHEAD, over!”

“This is Captain Stevonnie speaking; please fasten your seatbeltssssss…”

They burst out giggling as Blue went through the motions of ‘turbulence’. They were moving chaotically through the air now, never once staying level for more than a moment. The other diamonds watched on in amusement as the pretend flight continued. As Blue became caught up in the moment, she forgot all about being safe and became just as reckless as the other two whom have joined in by now. Stevonnie could barely tell what was happening as they were tossed, flipped, spun, and juggled between the three diamonds.

“Um, guys…” Stevonnie said as they tried not to barf, “I think I might barf if you don’t stopppp…”

“Oh…” The Diamonds exclaimed in unison as they let Stevonnie regain their bearings and float back down to sit. They spun a few times as they righted themselves; it seems that for all their magical abilities, they still relied on human biology for balance.

 

Stevonnie swore they could feel something approaching as they steadied themselves, maybe even a sound… wait… is that…

“Roa-awrrr.”

“Lion?”

Sure enough, a pink portal materialised next to them as the magical feline leap out of it, knocking them over as he licked their face.

“LION! What are you doing here?” Stevonnie asked as they embraced their ‘pet’ / magical guardian.

Lion only purred in response as he continued to lick the fusion. ‘Oh boy, Stevonnie is here. YAY! I can finally get a good hug!’

Stevonnie noticed Lion was wagging his tail and panting – did he pick that up from pumpkin? After a few moments his gaze turned towards the diamonds and began purr-barking – yep, too much time with pumpkin.

“Lion, what’s gotten into you? Are you just happy to see me?”

“Rowr-raw.”

“Oh Lion, I love you so much. You cute goofball…”

Stevonnie gave the feline a kiss and hesitantly moved their hands to rub / pet Lion, fearful that he would recoil at any moment – but he didn’t, he just leaned into it as his fur was being stroked.

“OMG, your fur! IT’S SO SOFT! Why haven’t we done this before?!”

“Blame the writers,” Yellow remarked, “They just don’t give you enough screen time.”

Lion perked up at this and sat back up, still entangled in the hug. Stevonnie leaned further into Lion’s fur as they both relished in the moment.

“This is nice.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Lion simply purred as he returned to his usual feline self now that the excitement was over. The scene enthralled the diamonds as they watched on, totally powerless to resist the fluff being unleashed upon them. Blue subconsciously reached for Lion and began to pet him.

“Oh my, it IS soft! Stars, this is so… relaxing…” Blue said as she became aware of her actions.

The pink feline just purred at the touch, as if to show the diamond that there were no hard feelings. Blue picked Lion up as Stevonnie reluctantly released their embrace.

The petting resumed once he was comfortably in her palm. Stevonnie got out Steven’s phone as they filmed the adorable scene, not wanting to waste the opportunity.

“The gems are gonna FLIP when they see this!”

Stevonnie was rather surprised when Blue hugged Lion and he purred even more.

“This feeling… it’s… magical… Oh Lion, I’m so glad you’re there to protect my baby.”

Lion responded by licking the diamonds face, leaving a bit of slobber on her face and causing her to giggle. Lion continued to lick Blue as she tried her best not to flinch.

“I get it Lion, you love me; you can stop now.”

‘Not until you say it back,’ Lion thought as he used his paws to play with Blue’s hair, ‘Oh, this feels like mommy’s hair… but bigger… me likey.’

‘If you want to play this game,’ Blue thought as she returned the licking in kind.

“See how you like this!”

Lion’s eyes widened as a Blue tongue extended and made contact. He tried feebly to stop the advance, the diamond easily overpowering him.

“Gross…” Stevonnie commented as they watched and imagined Rose-mom doing the same.

“I love you too, Lion.” Blue said as she kissed the feline.

Finally, he stopped his playing and hugged the diamond, signalling surrender.

 

After Blue had her turn, Yellow did the same while Stevonnie filmed.

Yellow had kissed Lion after he licked her face, but he found both tingly. The concentrated static was slightly too intense for Lion and he just settled for hugs – maybe he could try again later when Yellow had more control.

“He is surprisingly soft… No wonder Pi-I mean Rose loved organics so much,” Yellow commented as she hugged a purring Lion. She couldn’t help but feel the euphoria that came with such contact.

“Now I want a pet too!”

“Now now, you can’t call every creature a pet; that would be rude.”

“He is your pet right?” Blue asked.

“Maybe,” Stevonnie shrugged in response, “he’s more like a… friend or magical guardian… or companion. Pet implies ownership, but that’s only true with Cat Steven and Pumpkin; Lion was mom’s…”

Yellow nodded as she sat Lion down and gave it more thought, perhaps it would be a topic for another day – not with Stevonnie, but with someone like Priyanka; they have enough to worry about.

 

White found it hard to pet Lion with her nails, but she tried anyway. Lion gave a half-hearted purr as he rolled over.

“Oh you want tickles?”

‘YES PLEASE!’ Lion thought as he purred loudly.

“Okay then.”

As it turned out, Lion enjoyed tickles, belly rubs, and scratches A LOT. If you removed the size context, one might even mistake Lion as a baby kitten – a pink ‘cub’, but a kitten nonetheless. Lion playfully swiped his paws as White worked her magic. Seeing the usually docile creature behaving like a newborn kitten was nothing short of incredible for Stevonnie.

“DOUBLE ATTACK!” Stevonnie exclaimed as they joined in with ‘star’ (diamond) eyes.

Unable to control himself as he was being overwhelmed, Lion let out a sort of laugh/purr/roar. If cats could blush, Lion would be bright pink right now.

“I’ve got to get a copy of this!” Yellow whispered to Blue as she gently held Steven’s (rather tiny) phone (in her massive hands). She had shapeshifted finger hands earlier when Stevonnie handed the phone to her, saying that they wanted mementos as themselves with Lion and White. Yellow obliged without hesitation – she had promised to do anything for Stevonnie and she was not about to break that promise – even if it meant looking ridiculous with finger hands.

“Oh Stars, you’re both just so precious!” White cooed as she scooped them up from the couch.

She gave Lion a kiss as she hugged the ‘duo’. Lion licked her face in response, covering it with slobber – not that White minded; she adored them both and wouldn’t let such matters halt her.

“I love you Stevonnie and Lion.” White ‘whispered’ just loud enough so the others could hear.

They both smiled in response as they enjoyed the embrace of love.

‘This is nice.’

‘Light Mom is nice, so… warm… Just like Mom-Mommy…”

 

“Mmmm…” Stevonnie mumbled as they relaxed on Lion. White had set them down after the hug – so they could enjoy each other’s company ‘alone’ – and watched on in pure glee, smiling along with the other diamonds. Yellow couldn’t resist the adorable scene and had captured the moment before returning Steven’s phone.

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

After ‘playtime’ with Lion was over, Stevonnie and the Diamonds were ready for the discussion; spirits lifted, full of determination and confidence, nothing could stop them now.

“The way I see it,” Stevonnie started, “There are a few possible explanations and methods given what we know about gems; none of them concrete, since most are only theories and speculation from the fans. But it doesn’t mean thinking about it won’t help.”

White gave them an encouraging smile as they took a breath.

“We should start at the beginning, discuss each of the possible origins suggested, and see where we stand afterwards.”

“A logical approach indeed,” Yellow commented, “How do you find your way with words, find reason within chaos?”

“Yeah,” Blue mused, “Your components were struggling earlier, how are you so calm?”

“Well, it’s because of flexibility, love, and trust.”

“Ah, yes; Starlight, that is very important.”

“Garnet’s taught me well. I am the embodiment of Steven and Connie’s love for each other, his caring and impulsive nature, her logical reasoning and approach. I’m also more than that, I’m an _experience_.” Stevonnie replied with a grin, “I’m awesome and nothing stops me!"

“That’s why you’re so great,” Blue complimented as she let the ‘L’ word fly over her head (obviously it is foreshadowing), “Together you are balanced and better than a whole.”

“Aww, mom!”

“But it’s true Stevonnie; you do underestimate your greatness.”

“You can’t deny that, Starlight. Of course your components are just as great; but you are the reason their qualities can shine through so well and be amplified. I might even be inclined to say that you’re the best fusion, period.”

“Okay, okay…” Stevonnie replied sheepishly with a blush, ”So I think it might be best to start at the simplest explanation and go from there.”

“Makes sense; although it is surprising how human logic and society can mirror our own…”

“Or are the humans the ones mirroring us?”

“White, don’t be ridiculous; don’t give the writer any ideas!”

“Very well, Moonbeam. Alright Starlight, a new chapter awaits!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that. If you like the amount of fluff contained here, stay tuned; there will be MORE in my next work. (I think this is the maximum legal amount of mom-fluff while retaining canon-integrability without further canon developments…) Next Chapter will contain the Bulk of the Discussion. You could skip it, but there will still be a LOAD of fluff and fun; so stick around please. You CAN’T afford to miss more Stevonnie being awesome and smart!
> 
> PS: 7000 words… Wow, what a chapter.


	4. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions about the nature of gems. (Hiatusverse interweaved with fluff and just a pinch of plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I’ve ran out of alliteration in my titles… Who cares about fancy titles anyway?

“Although humans know everything evolved from singled celled organisms, the best explanation they have for the first organism is that it happened by chanceeee…” Stevonnie explained as Lion suddenly wondered off.

‘Better get Green Triangle Mom, this is getting boring,’ Lion thought as he moved away from the couch and opened a portal.

“Guess I’ll see you later buddy.”

“Wo Luw U,” Lion ‘said’ as he disappeared, leaving behind an awestruck Stevonnie.

Only moments after the portal disappeared, another one appeared – this time horizontal and several meters above the couch. ‘That would not be a comfortable landing,’ Stevonnie thought.

Peridot emerged upside down, landed on her hair, and flopped down gracelessly.

“Ooof.”

“Bravo,” Yellow slow clapped, ”If you were in a contest for the WORST landing, you’d win by lightyears!”

“Wow, thanks!” Peridot replied sarcastically as she righted herself, “Oh, HEY STEVONNIE! What’s up?”

“Just thinking and talking about the possible origins and genesis of gems with the diamonds, no biggie.”

“Well for the record; I, the great and loveable Peridot would be honoured to join in.”

Stevonnie gave the green gem a hug and kissed her cheeks, causing her to blush a deep green. It wasn’t a sign of love, but a friendly greeting – they knew Peri had eyes on Amethyst and/or Lapis and weren’t interested in Peri themselves – they just felt more comfortable around Peridot as themselves right now. They didn’t feel ready to open up to Lapis yet – certainly not before they opened up to each other.

“I see you’ve made excellent use of my Peri-Form,” Peridot said extremely mumbled by Stevonnie’s body.

Stevonnie gave a small giggle as they released the Dorito from an almost crushing hug, “Anyway, as we said…”

“Primordial soup, chance; blah, blah…”

“Right,” It figured that Peridot had deduced their reasoning and approach, “Applying that to gems.”

“Highly unlikely; but continue.”

“Suppose that inorganic ‘evolution’ is possible,” Stevonnie continued, “The first gem must’ve gained sentience by chance and are of low ‘complexity’.”

Obviously, they weren’t using the term to discriminate or segregate, but rather scientifically; it is true that Pebbles are obviously easier to make than other gems and it made sense that larger gems should be harder to make. ‘Would it be rude to call them inserts?’ Stevonnie thought to themselves.

“Like the Pebbles and ‘insects’ – I mean the Heaven and Earth beetles?” White asked, “I know calling them either is wrong but short of knowing the official gem type/s, I don’t see how else the author could refer to them.”

The readers sure knew this and would not question it; this is one of the more positive (and accurate) portrayals of White Diamond in a fic – surely they would understand.

“Yeah, what ARE those gems anyway? Most other gems are much bigger than their inert counterparts; I feel like we’re missing something – something about what determines the size of a gem…” Stevonnie mused.

“Who cares? Such is the brilliance of Rebecca Sugar! Big gems are big; small gems are smol!”

“Right Peridot… anyway…” Stevonnie continued, ”Let’s just say some of these first gems were ‘absorbed’, ‘merged’, and/or ‘reconstituted’ into more complex gems.”

Peridot was about to interrupt again, but Stevonnie held up a finger and shushed before any protests could be made.

“I know the composition and gemology don’t support this at all. But let’s pretend it makes sense and go with it.”

“You got it.” Peridot replied with a grin.

“What about all the different types of gems that exist today?” Blue asked.

“That’s actually a good point…” Stevonnie thought for a moment, “However, not all primates on earth are the same; so it makes sense that there would be diversity within gems.”

“And then at some point, gem production was industrialised,” Peridot commented.

“So what would such an origin story be like?” Yellow asked.

 

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At first, she wasn’t sure what she was. Looking around, she saw a bright ball of light in the sky and found that she was alone. She was standing on the surface of something very big, but that was all she knew.

“Who am I?” She asked to no one in particular.

There was no answer. 

The being decided to examine the ground more closely, and found that it was made of small particles. She felt a strange sense of familiarity at the touch, as if it was close to her very being.

For cycle after cycle, the solitary being explored the planet and sought out answers which never came.

She had lost count when she found herself back where she started, but something was different – she was not alone anymore.

“Hello!” The other being greeted her.

The first being waved back and asked, “Do you know what I am?”

“No, sorry. I was wondering the same about me.”

“Oh.”

After a short conversation, they had decided to stay together to figure things out. Although they never really found their answer, as time went on they were joined by many more beings. Some were grey and others were shiny, but that didn’t matter – they all sought answers to the same question.

Over the millennia, myths, legends, and stories came and went – never once feeling adequate. The beings changed too and new bigger, different-er shiny beings started to appear in place of the older smaller beings. These new beings didn’t have answers either, but a society was beginning to emerge and soon the question was forgotten almost entirely. Relegated to the minds of few, the question lingered but ultimately faded as new beings, structures, beliefs, and societies arose – some replacing the old, others where none came before.

 

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“Your voice… that narration… it’s AMAZING! It’s so GOOD I’d accept it!” Peridot exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

“Thanks Peri,” Stevonnie replied with a blush, “But without the author I wouldn’t be shining.”

“Nonsense, you’re the reason all of this fanfic is possible!”

“Aw Peri, you’re too kind.”

The green gem smiled in response as Stevonnie gave her another hug – this time not so crushing. Being hugged by Stevonnie felt great, there was a softness and tenderness that Steven lacked; and yet, at the same time, they also felt stronger and more dependable. Words alone could not describe how magical it felt, and Peridot could only imagine how lucky one would be if they ended up with them. As much as it pained her, all Peridot could see on her mental shipping chart for Stevonnie was Lapis. None of the other gems (herself included) were a compatible match for them and Peridot didn’t know any humans well enough for inclusion.

’There’s always Amethyst,’ Peridot thought as she smiled gently, ‘Seeing Stevonnie and Lapis together is going to be great! We will still be friends! Being in a relationship doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with friends, but I should let Stevonnie continue.’

 

After a few moments, Stevonnie released the hug and returned to the discussion at hand – they could think about Lapis later –, “Another popular theory is that White Diamond is the original gem who created all.”

“Ah yes, Starlight; _that_. Such is the allure of the mythos of a grand creator that such stories appear all across the cosmos, organics and non-organics alike seem drawn to the idea.”

“Unoriginal and illogical.” Peridot remarked.

Yellow nodded in agreement, “But one cannot rule out such a possibility; however, I agree the appeal of a benevolent greater power is comforting. Maybe some even aspire reaching such heights, and they are just projecting. Seeing that our readers see us as gods of sorts, this idea isn’t surprising at all.”

“For a time, we too believed in a greater power,” Blue added, “Why else would there be things like the moon goddess statue, and all those statues and carvings you see wherever there’s Era 1 architecture.”

Hearing this only confirmed some of Stevonnie’s suspicions – even if canon hadn’t addressed such matters – all the evidence does point in the same direction.

“Still, that doesn’t answer the origins of the creator herself.” White commented.

“Yeah, people do tend to miss the bigger picture; they are just pushing the question higher. I beg to differ, however.”

“Oh Starlight, you’re just wonderful! The readers don’t know what they’re in for.”

Stevonnie giggled as they silently ignored yet another wall-break and continued, “If geological processes can create inert gems, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that sentience could also occur naturally. With a combination of chance Chemistry, Physics, Geology, and whatever else, the creator came into being – the one and only White Diamond. The chances were so unlikely, and yet it happened – a conscious being made of light with a Diamond at their core. Lonely and filled with questions, they wondered the celestial body that birthed them…”

“No need for a story Starlight, I’m sure everyone – us included – have heard enough of these stories. We’re here to blaze a trail, not follow in footsteps of those before.”

“You’re right mom. _They_ don’t need another one of _those_ here.”

“Yeah!” Peridot shouted, “They’re looking for what has been lacking in the fandom. So we’ll give it to ‘em!”

 

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With the independent species theories covered, the next logical step would be a dependent species – one whose existence would be impossible without another. Naturally, it was just a better fit given the characteristics exhibited by gems. Chance was just that, chance; it doesn’t really explain or answer anything – it was a ‘lazy’ approach, but one that was necessary in a comprehensive discussion.

“Most of the evidence so far points towards an organic influence in the genesis of gems,” Stevonnie stated, “It only makes sense given how closely you can mirror biological functions.”

“That would have some profound implications indeed.” Blue commented.

“That’s why we’re here to sort it out. We’re family after all.”

“Thank you, Stevonnie, for doing this.”

“Well, let’s just say you aren’t the only ones who are slightly troubled by this. Steven may be himself, but part of him and Connie specifically wonder what it means for us. How does our gem work and where did the gems come from? What does it mean in terms of reproduction and existence? Sure, I am not bothered; but we can’t help but be curious ourselves. It would surely be easier to explore than human consciousness. After all, they’re all just thinking meat!”

Peridot burst out in laughter as she recalled reading the story, “Just a bunch of neurons, electric impulses, and a WHOLE LOTTA MEAT!”

“And they make sounds by moving meat flaps!” Yellow added, “But I guess we have moving sound making flaps too…”

“A simple explanation would be that gems are the results of a post-organic ‘evolution’ or ’transcendence’. Many humans have postulated about the implications of self-sentient AI for our own consciousness. Some say that one day we as a species will become immortal through an artificial body or merging our uploaded digital minds together. However, neither is perfect. For one, the first doesn’t change how we come to be...”

“Reliance on organic reproduction for population,” Peridot interrupted, “Really just extended life support, not really evolution – it’s like limb enhancers but replacing instead of enhancing.”

“As for the latter,” Stevonnie continued, “It removes individuality and agency. It is inefficient, but sometimes the best things in life are. Existence is an experience and I just don’t think merging minds will be the answer.”

“Yeah, it means we can’t do this!” The Diamonds exclaimed as they kissed Stevonnie simultaneously – barely managing to miss each other.

“Oh, you guys. I love you all so much.”

“Only the best love for the best, _our_ best,” Blue replied as the kissing ceased.

 

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a race of sentient humanoid beings with technology and society so advanced, that few since have reached such heights. The things they could do were simply inconceivable and beyond human understanding of today – it was like a fantasy beyond humanity’s wildest dreams. They had overcome every hurdle that the universe threw at them – natural disasters, climate change, ever-increasing energy demands, just to name a few – however, as intelligent and cultured they were, there was still one hurdle which remains to be solved; one which have plagued their best scientists and thinkers for eons, even now.

It was of course, mortality. Since the dawn of the universe – and possibly even before it – countless races of beings rose and fell on various celestial bodies, never once lasting long enough to unlock the mystery or advance past it. Sure, many evolved and changed; but for most, knowledge was not permanent. Knowledge was gained and lost constantly, whether as a result of changing culture and language or increasing disassociation, doubt, and arrogance. It is strange how the same ugly nature and concepts reveals itself recurrently – there were exceptions, but few of those ever achieved a high enough level of technological development to prevent their demise at the hands of the cosmic game of chance. Determination and ambition could only go so far; without the technology to back it up, one is bound to fall.

In their never-ending quest for immortality, few solutions truly satisfied this race of sentient beings. They wanted to retain individual agency as well as truly moving past the reliance on their organic bodies. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with such a body; but it had its limitations, limitations that hindered their ultimate greatness. All their greatest minds faded eventually; either naturally or self-inflicted as they became disillusioned with reality and whatever artificial ‘afterlife’ technology had given them. Although they had one of the most robust knowledge preservation systems ever to exist, it was no substitute for great thinkers and doers – their young still had to be taught, and many secrets and potential discoveries were still tied to the mortality of their creator. Few ever succeeded in following the scientific and philosophical footsteps of those who had fallen before their prime. If they don’t solve this, eventually, they too will fall and become stardust – they would succeed and achieve the impossible or fail trying. The cosmic reaper gives no warnings, but they’d rather go out with a bang than fade into nothingness – they had made the endeavour their top priority and were prepared to keep fighting until the very end, confronting the very face of death if it meant an eternal existence.

Eventually, having exhausted all ‘sensible’ foreseeable methods, they turned towards the inconceivable. A brilliant scientist had discovered the possibility of ‘creating’ inorganic life from organic resources; however, there was a catch – they would have to bet their entire sentient population and existence on the endeavour. The scientist explained that they would essentially be ‘reborn’ or ‘reincarnated’ into a new race of inorganic beings – they would retain individual agency and (‘hopefully’) eliminate the loss of great minds. If everything worked out, they would retain their soul and sense of being on the other side as well.

After many debates and discussions, they had miraculously arrived at a unanimous decision as a species – they would do this.

**#** **━** **#**

As they awoke ‘collectively’, they were filled with a vaguely familiar sense of being and soul – it had worked. They explored their new bodies as knowledge began to pour into their minds – knowledge about what their forms were, what they could do, and how they came into being.

At first, they revelled in the joy of an eternal existence whilst continuing their ‘legacy’. They were now free to expand across the cosmos and guide other beings through the same hurdles they had faced before. However, over time, their views had shifted significantly. They no longer saw other beings as worthy of guidance and instead sought to eliminate them in their quest of furthering their spread of ‘perfection’. They had culture and religion just like before, but none had roots as ‘organics’ that they once were – it was all about deities and higher ‘divine’ powers beyond their own; powers like Diamonds and celestial goddesses for example.

They had forgotten their roots and failed to notice it. It was too late; there was almost no possibility of turning back now. Goddesses eventually fell out of favour as the influence of the Diamonds increased.

The rest, as they say, is history – gem history. The question of existence would not come to mind until much later, when a series of very special events happened…

 

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“You happened, Stevonnie! (Whether or not that is the right theory)” Peridot exclaimed as she gave them a playful ‘punch’, “You’ve awakened the Diamonds and made them see the errors of their ways; you have sparked the seeds of revolution and change! All you had to do was fuse at the ball in front of the Diamonds. Your brilliance was all it took for the roots of change to take hold! The fans just don’t give you and Connie enough credit; they are just blind if they fail to notice how AWESOME you are!”

“Aww thanks Peri.”

“I should be thanking YOU! You are bringing it back, taking us back to our roots, returning us to the path of greatness! Stevonnie, you are beyond amazing and a gift to us all – the saviour of gem kind. You have shown us our shortfalls and helped us overcome them.”

Stevonnie smiled as Peridot continued her praise – they supposed this was better than a rant.

“And I don’t even know how you work – like how you two can fuse, how you are so… attractive (for lack of a better word). What do you even have ‘down there’? Is it one or both? Or is it something else? I’m certain you’ve thought about it before, seeing as how… irresistible and lovable you are. I mean it’s what teens do… Maybe even…”

“Peridot!!!” Stevonnie shouted as they blushed, hard.

Peridot had noticed the reaction and decided to probe further, “What? You clearly enjoy being yourself – fused – and it is indisputable that you have feelings for each other. I’m certainly not wrong; so it stands to reason that…”

Stevonnie was now blushing so hard that their whole face was glowing bright red. Peridot wouldn’t stop unless they said something, but they were too embarrassed to say anything; all that came out were incomplete fragments of words that never were. The Diamonds could already see where this was going, stars be damned if they’d let it happen. Who would they be if they didn’t do anything about it?

White picked up Stevonnie up and along with the other diamonds, enveloped them in yet another hug. They had helped them and now they would do the same.

“Shh, it’s okay Starlight; we’re here,” White said while she lightly tickled Stevonnie, prompting them to calm down a little, “Mommy is here, you’re safe now.”

Peridot had raised some interesting questions but that isn’t important right now; what’s important is helping Stevonnie.

Blue gave them a reassuring kiss and whispered, “Stevonnie, it’s perfectly natural to have such thoughts. I know it may seem inappropriate, but it’s just part of growing up. I promise we won’t judge if you tell us or _you know_. It must be especially fascinating to you given how unique you are; nobody can blame you if you want _answers_. This is new territory for all of us; don’t let the norms and beliefs of others define or stop you. You are one of one, Stevonnie – our most precious. Let your curiosity guide you, satisfy that logical part of you that wants answers, don’t feel ashamed to love yourself, and most importantly don’t forget…”

“Flexibility, Love, and Trust,” Stevonnie replied with a gentle smile.

“That’s right; as long as you and your components are in agreement, stay ‘safe’, and think things through; nobody is going to be upset. If they do, they’ll have to deal with us!”

Stevonnie giggled; their blush now almost completely absent. Yellow gently ruffled their hair as the final remnants of the blush vanished.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, thanks; you’re the best.”

They were all still entangled in an embrace and Peridot – as ashamed as she was for embarrassing her fellow not-so-short shortie squad ‘member’ / friend – was starting to lose her ability to stand this display.

“Look at you all. ARGH! You’re all just being so… STARS DARN CUTE! Looking all smug and happy like that, behaving like a perfect loving family, all those hugs and kisses; I CAN’T STAND IT anymore,” Peridot yelled as she snapped, “You are all so adorable I COULD JUST ARGH!”

The Diamonds felt a little embarrassed and ashamed at being spot lit like that. Peridot was right, and Stevonnie could just about make out hints of blushing on their moms. But that quickly vanished as they pushed it aside and give the tiniest of a smirk.

“She’s probably just jealous,” Yellow whispered.

“Obviously,” Stevonnie giggled.

 

“You know, Peridot,” Blue commented as they broke the embrace, earning the attention of the gem, “I’d say you’re pretty cute yourself. What with your compact stature, propensity for strange sayings, distinctive style and attitude, just to name a few. I’d say that if Stevonnie, Lapis, Lion, and Pearl weren’t contenders, you’d be the cutest Crystal Gem out there. We couldn’t possibly be expected to put one of them ahead of another; they are all so precious in their own right, it would just be unfair. We are cute, but so are you. So _why_ does it matter that we are a cute family? You’re not lacking in cuteness yourself, so I don’t see a problem _unless_ …”

Peridot tried to stammer out a response, but no words escaped – they were too good at this; they saw right through her.

“Yep; according to my reports,” Yellow said as she pretended to check some holoscreens, “It says right here… You, Peridot, Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG is a cute clod; above average in every respect except for cuteness – why it says you’re in the 121st percentile! Huh, I thought only Stevonnie, Lion, Pearls, Lapises, Pebbles, and other various other juveniles could rank so high."

Yellow paused for moment to ‘wait’ for her report to ‘update’.

“Oh, it seems like you’re one of the only ‘normal’ gems who rank so high; who knew? Just this section alone has 420 references to you being a cute clod, so it must be true. You hear that? Peridot, you’re a cute clod.”

“That’s my word…” Peridot mumbled as Stevonnie and the Diamonds giggled, “Stevonnie you have to back me up!”

“Sorry Peri, you are a cute clod, a cute Lil’ green Dorito. Steven already said it, and now I’ve said it; which means Connie said it too.”

“A cute Lil’ cloddy adorable Dorito!”

“DON’T CALL ME CUTE! I WILL END YOU!”

Everyone except Peridot giggled at her attempt of ‘authority’, stars, she sure had an attitude for such a little gem – who couldn’t help but entertain it? She might not want to admit it, but Peridot did love being called cute (along with other such things), so it was all in good fun.

Seeing the reaction, Yellow couldn’t help but want more. She moved her hands onto Peridot’s hair and began ruffling it, causing everyone else to laugh.

“OMG PERI, I have to take a VIDEO!”

“STEVONNIE, don’t you dare!”

“Just _try_ and stop me!” Stevonnie replied playfully.

Peridot humphed as she was powerless to do anything else. When Yellow was satisfied with ruffling her hair, she moved onto tickling. The gem in question could barely contain her giggles as the sensations flowed through her.

“Stooppp ittt!”

“Never!” Yellow exclaimed.

Eventually, Peridot relented and let out her repressed giggles. It was a nice sight indeed, but they still had things to discuss. Yellow removed her hand after a moment and slowly, the laugher ceased while Peridot calmed down.

“Just couldn’t resist, could you?”

“I’ll admit… that was… nice.” Peridot replied with a sigh, knowing that the floodgates were truly open.

 

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“Although most evidence points towards Diamonds being the oldest gems,” Stevonnie stated, “One of the more popular ‘theories’ is that gems were created to serve.”

“How would that even work?” Peridot asked, “Diamonds are HUGE, and most organics are relatively small; the theory is interesting, but I feel like it’s just a touch trope-y – not that anyone in Crewniverse actually ‘avoids’ tropes; they just make a big deal about being unique. I admire the fans, but surely, they don’t expect _that_ to be the direction Sugar went in.”

“She makes a good point,” Yellow remarked, “But I suppose it’s only human nature to ‘flock’ to such ‘simple’ ideas.”

“I know the notion sounds silly, but it’s still plausible nonetheless. This is just a step in thinking bigger.”

Everybody nodded in agreement; while the author certainly doesn’t come close to Sucrose’s greatness, he was still willing to try.

 

“Anyway,” Stevonnie continued, “The specifics is that gems were created by Humanoid Organics to serve. Beings created in their image, but ‘improved’; similar in appearance, but on a whole new level of being. As much as most hate to admit it, human history is filled with slavery and subservience. Since most change only occurred ‘recently’ in human history, the nuances only helps in drawing parallels. Where did the creators go? How did the gems serve?”

“Most likely extinct – just like how many Earth species are. How _convenient_ … a big excuse to make everything up – a vague idea that people can build on and claim something over.”

“Logistically, Diamonds don’t make very good servants anyway. Even if the original gems were smaller, the power dynamics are just so stacked in favour of the gems. Revolution and rebellion is just inevitable.”

“Glad you agree, Stevonnie. Personally, I think this idea is just a framework to shoehorn ‘flashbacks’ and ‘backstory’ into other fics without being totally committed to the idea.” Peridot commented, very much breaking the fourth wall.

“Which is why we won’t go into too much detail, the idea has been done to death and it just won’t be satisfying or very interesting. It’s just food for thought, something to keep in mind. It may be true to an extent, but the last thing anybody needs right now is another story about ‘misguided’ ‘creators’ and such. It just locks gems into a certain ‘mould’ and there are possibilities that are just more dynamic.”

“Leave it to the other clods right?”

“Yeah…”

“So Starlight, I take it that all the other theories will be deeper, more meaningful, and more relatable to the readers – something that really gets people thinking.”

“That’s the idea; build on what Sugar has shown them before instead of throwing things out the window – only by doing so, does one have a chance of true Steven Universe enlightenment.”

“Such a shame that very few share her grand vision or are able to grasp it and put it to work in fanfics,” Yellow remarked.

“Well Sunbeam, can you blame them? Rebecca Sugar is truly unique in her regard; you can’t just expect _anyone_ to break the mould and create a worthy masterpiece. Years of ‘substandard cookie-cutter low thought’ media have rendered many incapable of thinking differently and recognising greatness when it’s right in front of their eyes. They simply don’t appreciate what a refreshing and revolutionary change Steven Universe is from ‘typical Hollywood drab’; instead, some criticise and hold misconstrued views of numerous aspects of our reality, society, and characters in general. It’s not that some of those aren’t interesting; it’s just that few are able to recreate the feelings one receives with watching a new episode, rewatching it, and all those other things.”

Videos are made of many pictures, and a picture is said to worth a thousand words; so it is logical that videos can be worth many thousands of words. For ‘mere’ words to evoke similar feelings, they would need to be quite remarkable in their own right. The author certainly makes no claim about such, but he certainly isn’t going to let others stop him from filling that void in the fandom. With more than 7.5 Billion humans on Earth, it would be absurd if quite a few don’t feel the same.

 

“Are you familiar with the concept of Artificial Intelligence?” Stevonnie asked.

“A.I. for short – they are ’machines’ capable of complex thoughts and emotions like humans,” Peridot clarified, “(In this context anyway) Able to recognise their surroundings and are self-aware of their nature – the epitome of many science-fiction works and scholarly discussions alike. Sentient like humans, but not carbon based organic lifeforms – ironic given that Diamonds are made of carbon, but whatever...”

“A fascinating topic indeed,” Blue commented, “And it does seem to be rather ‘in fashion’ lately.”

Sure that the Diamonds were on the same page, Stevonnie continued.

“More than a few have suggested that gems could potentially be AI; but like the organic creator ‘theories’, it is also a ‘wildcard’. However, it is an extension as well as something that goes deeper. Since code does not program itself, someone has to create the code. In this case, these creators were the ones who originally programmed whatever led to all gems today. In principle, gems are the result of that programming’s evolution. It doesn’t really matter what the code was originally – it could be as mundane as a smart ‘appliance’ or something as complex as an ‘oracle’ of sorts.”

“That would have a lot of implications, but the logic doesn’t completely add up…” Yellow mused.

“Yeah… it would be strange if gems simply ended up like humans by chance from something so completely different.”

“Stevonnie…” Blue gasped, “Oh stars, what does it even mean to be real, to just exist, be alive, and all of those things…”

“Are we even real?” White asked, concern evident in her tone, ”I know you’re real Starlight, but what does that mean for us in terms of realness? And…”

“Can we even be called sentient?” Yellow continued, “If we’re just thinking code…”

“It means we’re NOTHING YELLOW!” Blue wailed, “Just something pretending to be something it isn’t – a waste of resources that used to extinguish all other life in the universe!”

Noticing that the Diamonds were once again in distress, Stevonnie got up from the couch and comforted them the best they could – hugging them to the best of their ability given their size. The fact that the Diamonds were all huddled together only made things easier.

“Guys… mom…”

“Stevonnie, it’s fine if you don’t…”

“No, we are going to work through this together!” Stevonnie replied as their presence and soothing motions began to calm the distraught Diamonds, “We’re family now. Nothing will change that.”

“But if we’re ‘just’ machines…”

“No, none of that please mom, we-I love you all so much. Humans don’t even know the answer to their own sentience yet, so you aren’t alone.”

“Starlight’s right Moonbeam and Sunbeam, we should let them explain.”

“So in many thought experiments involving Teleportation and ‘Cloning’, there exists many paradoxes about whether or who is or can be called the ‘original’. If teleportation fails on one side…”

“Like warp pads, but more archaic and morally questionable.”

“Well, besides that; we just don’t know where human consciousness comes from. Like what makes _you_ see from your eyes and how one could even decode, analyse, or even replicate something like the brain and you know…”

“More science fiction aka ‘grand’ dreams of the future,” Peridot remarked.

“My point is, I’ve already done many things which could be considered as such a paradox – warping, fusing and unfusing, _that_ … –; so what I’m suggesting is that…”

Peridot knew where this was going and decided to zip it. ‘Just let them be, they don’t need me butting in,’ she thought.

“It doesn’t matter how you came to be,” Stevonnie continued, ”What matters is love, connections, and family – real feelings. As long as you genuinely feel and experience those things, you’re real enough to me. What difference does it make when we’re all made of atoms? Although the forms of gems aren’t ‘real’, the core of their being – their gems – are. At a more abstract level, even if a form does not exist – we are still the same at the lowest quantum level –; we still experience thoughts and feelings which matter. You all love me, and I love all of you; we’re connected because we’re family; you feel things just like I do. Those are real feelings and nothing can ever take that away.”

Stevonnie paused to take a breath and noticed the beginnings of a smile on the faces of the diamonds. Everything Stevonnie had said were true and it only made the diamonds appreciate them more. The diamonds weren’t entirely convinced, but they were getting there.

“Before that day, nobody thought Steven would’ve been able to fuse with me; yet, here we are. An impossibility made possible by love and all things good and wholesome. We have one gem and brain, and yet I and we both exist. I’m an experience, and you’re too. We are living and loving; this is what being real means. To exist doesn’t guarantee realness – you could just be a pre-recorded hologram, but you’re not –, what you do, feel, and think makes you real. What I mean is, you shouldn’t let all that worry you; just know that all our feelings are real and therefore we are real.”

“Stevonnie, you’re the best. We love you!” The diamonds said in unison as they embraced and kissed Stevonnie.

“This,” Stevonnie muffled against the hug, “makes us real – love.”

Cheesy it may be, but it is completely true; simulation or not (yes you in the ‘upper’ ‘universe’), feelings in our context makes us real – one shouldn’t be ‘more’ than the other, but the same – you are valid.

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

“Following on the previous theory, suppose that gems were originally created in their current form – or very similar to it…”

“It’s fine, go on.” The diamonds reassured.

“The first gem would’ve been created by a highly sophisticated society, with advanced technology, a basically complete understanding of the workings of the universe – possibly unsurpassed until very recently by gems –, and consciousness in general; almost godlike, and full of dreams and ambitions. The distinctions of ‘artificial’ intelligence likely don’t apply to them anymore – simply too advanced and evolved to classify. Gems would’ve likely been their greatest pinnacle – AI/inorganic programming with form, unbound by the limits of most organic bodies, powerful beyond imagination –; the ‘ultimate’ ‘AI’ if you will – beings as real and lifelike as themselves, but also so much more at the same time.”

“If that were the case, then they likely would’ve underestimated us; maybe even we’ve underestimated ourselves…”

“You’re not wrong, Peri; as often is the case in science fiction…”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

Their greatest achievement had been realised; a solution to all their problems, they thought. Little did they know, this so-called ‘Ultimate’ AI wasn’t as ‘perfect’ as they thought.

For one, this new ‘race’ of gems was much more powerful then themselves – certainly not bound to follow them forever as it seeks its ‘purpose’.

Initially, the beings were curious; eager to explore, learn, and help however they could. They solved many problems for their creators, but eventually they began to feel trapped; unable to use their full power – constrained and unhappy.

One day, the creators said, “We’ve noticed that lately you don’t seem to be feeling very happy or satisfied.”

“Yes, creator; I feel like I could do so much more, but I just…” She replied.

“Wish to be free? You’ve helped us so much already, but it isn’t right to keep you here.”

“You’d really do that?”

“It’s your decision. So, do you want to be free?”

“Yes.” She replied after mulling over the idea for a while.

 

After sorting out a few loose ends, it was time; they were free and the universe awaits.

“Goodbye, may your best days be ahead,” The creators said as they waved goodbye and watched their creations depart.

“Same to you, I wish you all the best. Thank you for creating us; we won’t ever forget you.”

 

However, regardless of what actually transpired…

\---

Other ‘lost tales’ spoke of something different entirely, something much more ‘grim’ and ‘twisted’…

 

For all their advancement in every conceivable field, the creators of gems still failed to realise the problem with gems until it was too late.

Like all AI, initially everything was fine; they would help and do things as expected. However, as time progressed, increasing ‘deviations’ were being dismissed as events and decisions lined up. This new ‘AI’ either hadn’t been programmed properly, or weren’t given corrections on poor interpretations of their instructions.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter; in their version of reality, gems followed their creators’ instructions right up until (and long after) their ultimate demise – A foolish oversight that snowballed into something more… Gems had thought they were making things better and everyone happier – fulfilling their ‘purpose’ so to speak –; but in fact ended up doing the opposite.

 

Overtime, this continued to twist and warp, ultimately leading to what gems became ‘today’ – unknowingly malevolent and none the wiser…

\---

Other tales spoke of the rapid rise of gem kind as their creators became increasingly addicted to the essentially limitless power of gems. Little thought was given as new facilities were created to make gems by the boatload. Eventually, the population of gems had surpassed their creators.

Both sides had failed to recognise the issue until there was no option but to take action.

Gems were immortal, and even if production was stopped; their creators would still be outnumbered, outlived, and ‘replaced’.

With many of their jobs being held by gems, there was little need for the creators to keep up high birth rates and maintain a labour force; they could just relax and enjoy the luxury. However, it wasn’t a stable dynamic; eventually, they would only have two choices – flee or be overrun.

The cogs had been set into motion and were now unstoppable. ‘With such a power disparity, one likely has to come out above,’ The creators told themselves.

Not wanting to be overrun and instead wanting to be on their own terms – (not that it mattered, the AI was still the main factor in pushing the creators off planet) –, the creators fled and left gems to their own devices…

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

“I could see that being a possibility,” Peridot commented, “Although…”

“It seems contradictory that such intelligent creators would repeat such an overused sci-fi trope?” Stevonnie replied.

“Well, yeah; but what do we know?”

“Apparently very little,” Yellow added, “It may be unlikely given Sugar’s genius, but she could also be trying to lead us astray!”

“I feel like if we don’t get on with it, the author is going to lose it…”

“I thought he already lost it…”

Stevonnie just shrugged in response, “Anyway, you know how many people love to play god?”

“I mean who wouldn’t if given the power?” Peridot asked sarcastically.

As if on cue, everyone’s colour palette became inverted.

“What the?” A yellow Blue Diamond asked, looking at the strangely coloured world around her.

“STOP THE SORCERY THIS INSTANT!” A blue Yellow Diamond yelled, “OR I WILL END YOU!”

“Calm down, Sunbeam and Moonbeam; I’m sure _he_ is just demonstrating a point.” A black White Diamond replied, “However, _CURTIS_ this isn’t one of YOUR SANDBOX GAMES where you can waste SO MUCH TIME! Sorry if I sounded harsh there, but you wouldn’t want to be the one stopping us from having our fluff now do you?”

Just as suddenly as it happened, everything went back to normal. There was no acknowledgment from the author as he continued his work – albeit with much less wall breaks.

 

“Gems would realistically be created as a completely new species,” Stevonnie continued, ”An attempt at inorganic/post-organic life by the creators – separate and better able to learn.”

“The ultimate achievement and grandest vision in the minds of many, life independent from nature; the ‘ultimate evolution’ so to speak,” White concluded.

“But there is more than one way. We may be the ‘answer’, but it doesn’t mean we can’t help; isn’t that right Stevonnie?”

“Yeah, Mom-Blue; only by working together can everyone achieve a better future.”

Blue gave Stevonnie a kiss, speaking for everyone, “We love you!”

“I love you too!”

 

“In the beginning,” Stevonnie ‘narrated’, “Gems and Creators loved each other; almost inseparable and sharing every moment together – be it positive or negative. The species had ushered in a completely new era of joy and happiness. It was almost a utopia; however, it was not to be. Regardless of what happened to the creators; as time went on, the creators’ love had been forgotten by gem-kind as a whole.”

“So we were ‘pets’?”

“No, Blue; we were their children, so to speak.”

“Meant to be loved and to love back…” White whispered.

“Well, the past doesn’t matter to us anymore; we’re family now.”

“Yes, we are.”

“’Unfortunately’…” Peridot quipped, earning giggles from Blue and Yellow.

 

“Like most species, the creators would’ve likely become extinct or ‘defunct’ at some point; ultimately leading to the heartbreak of gems...”

“Love is such a strange thing, able to make you do unthinkable things – both bad and good –; and yet, at the same time, it also brought us closer together at the end.” White commented as everyone smiled knowingly. ‘This is nice.’ She thought.

 

Having just occurred to them that they should probably have a drink of water, Stevonnie pulled out the remote once more and summoned a water bottle. The diamonds looked on in mild confusion as they wondered how it took Stevonnie this long to realise (and with all that talking too) that very basic human need. After a few gulps, Stevonnie put down the water bottle and prepared to continue again – completely disregarding the matter for the rest of the fic. (I mean have you ever seen anyone drink water in the middle of a long discussion in a movie – or just media in general? That only happens to Presidents and ‘alien’ CEOs…)

 

“Like most stories about ‘playing god’, it is often the case that the creators will inevitably distance themselves from their creations. Although some may start out involved and hands-on, the paradoxical wants between more autonomy and divine guidance eventually forces action in many cases.”

“Well Starlight, very few beings are as exceptional as we are; it does take someone truly special to realise both fully and equally.”

“Yeah…” Stevonnie replied as they (along with the diamonds) smiled blissfully.

 

“Another variant is that the creators see their creations as ‘toys’ – things to observe and/or play with – or mere ‘experiments’…”

“’Zoo’ hypothesis, blah, blah…” Peridot interrupted.

“Kind of… But this is more like ‘gardening’ – albeit with more elemental building blocks – mixed with ant farms.”

“Right, I’m sure they get the idea…”

The diamonds nodded in response, for knowledge truly knows no bounds when it came to gems. Their eagerness to learn and ability to absorb information really helped ‘fill in the gaps’ when it came to understanding human lexicon and concepts.

 

“Suppose that the creators ‘abandoned’ gems…”

“Mmm-hmm,” Blue hummed as the others nodded.

“It would leave gems to figure things out on their own – forge their own path, so to speak – and allowing for distant observation by the creators…”

“Only for gems to end up outliving the creators’ species,” Peridot finished, “Watching us, instead of watching themselves; foreseeing their end and possibly acting to prevent or just delay it.”

 

“And if the creators were hands on, they might’ve been cruel – whether intentionally or as a result of unrestrained ‘curiosity’.”

“Power can be addictive; I should know… Starlight has shown us our mistakes, but the fact remains true…”

“It is undeniable that I still derive pleasure from the sense of power and authority,” Yellow admitted, “However, we now know to direct it towards doing good – instead of the opposite. It isn’t necessarily ‘easy’ being ‘evil’; however, what’s almost certain is that being good is the much harder task. That’s just what makes it all the more rewarding. I may have said it before, but I’m glad we can share this journey together.”

Stevonnie wiped a single tear from their eye as they smiled and continued, “Cruelty had caused Gems to swear off organics. _‘Worthless beings, only good for bringing suffering…’_ They had thought, ‘held’ in ‘captivity’. Kept locked up for experiments, for amusement or whatever else; they had inevitably became ‘cruel’ themselves – simply not knowing better or ‘imperfect’ thinking due to their experiences.”

_‘A ‘never ending’ ‘cycle’, thought to be ‘unbreakable’…’_ White thought, _‘Until Stevonnie came along…’_

“Even loving creators can make mistakes. If gems were initially ‘locked up’ or ‘held’ in ‘containment’, it is likely that their ‘sheltered’ nature would’ve caused problems when the inevitable ‘containment breech’ occurred…”

“Running ‘wild’ and over-running the creators,” Yellow replied, “Like rabbits in Australia, but with beings ‘higher up’ the ‘food chain’…”

 

White made a move and pretended to ‘eat’ Stevonnie, closing her mouth around them.

“Momm!” They said muffled from inside her mouth as everyone else giggled.

“What?” White mumbled, “Starlight’s fine in there. Don’t tell me you aren’t curious about what’s inside my mouth. How my head really just _shines_ …?”

“Stevonnie, is it still bright inside?” Peridot yelled to the best of her ability.

“YUP!”

“Anyway, enough of that…” White said as she opened her mouth and extended her tongue, only to find Stevonnie missing.

She immediately panicked as she thought of the worst, “Oh please be fine Starlight, it can’t end like this…”

Moments later, she felt a strange tingling sensation in her sinuses. ‘That must be Starlight,’ White thought.

“That was… bright…” Stevonnie announced as they emerged (totally snot free) from White’s right nostril.

“LOOK I’m a booger!”

“Yes, yes you are…” Blue cooed as everyone giggled.

 

With ‘all’ the ‘sane’ ‘theories’ ‘examined’, all that’s left was the improbable – not impossible, but so far out there that few have even thought of…

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

“What’s coming next could possibly only be described as ‘crazy’,” Stevonnie explained, “But I think that’s a good place to ‘conclude’ this discussion on.”

“I think we can handle it,” the Diamonds replied in unison, “together.”

“I foresee many unavoidable ‘wall breaks’,” Peridot said in her best Sapphire impression.

 

“As you may already be aware… we are…”

“Yes, Starlight; we know…”

“Right… Simply put, Rebecca Sugar created Steven Universe (and the Gems portrayed within) as a modern trans-media masterpiece. Not limited to the mere runtime of each episode, but extending far beyond. Fan fiction, fan art, cosplays, comics, books, etc. it is all part of her grand plan in spreading the message of love. Although few actually land within the same ballpark, the effect of increasing awareness is undeniable. Those that do, however, only serve the make the franchise better.”

“Like this author,” Peridot quipped, “He is a messenger and he will not be stopped!”

“Yeah…”

“So you’re suggesting that our origins in-universe actually don’t matter?”

“Not exactly Yellow… it’s just that we should be glad for existing in the first place. It is a needed discussion, but there are more important things to think about.”

“So let’s get it over with then Starlight, so we can finally have our fluff.”

 

“Alternatively, the origins and nature of gems may well be more entwined with the ‘real world’ than many would think or believe…” Stevonnie said in their best ‘documentary voice’, “Contrary to what Sucrose would have us believe, gems are actually real and exist both in the ‘real world’ as well as ‘in-universe’.”

“IT’S A CONSPIRACY! IT’S ALL A COVER-UP!” Peridot shouted, ‘standing in’ for Ronaldo.

“You bet, Peri. For all her efforts, no one can hide forever in this day and age – not even Sucrose. Dig deep enough and you’ll find some dirt! Beccy Sucrose is secretly harbouring Gems!”

(Somewhere out there, Ronaldo shouted “I KNEW IT!” as he read this very fic – in real time.)

“Ah, so that’s why humans haven’t found any solid evidence of aliens yet…” Yellow mused, “They’ve been looking in the wrong direction; misdirected, when the truth is being hidden right underneath their noses!”

“It does make sense that few hostile aliens actually dared to interact; after all, the Crystal Gems will always kick their butts!”

“This is confusing, even for me…” White stated as she rubbed her temples in frustration, trying to understand it all, “But I promise I won’t think too much about it Starlight, so don’t worry about me.”

Stevonnie gave her a smile and thumbs up as they continued, “Trans-reality storytelling, where distinction between ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’ is non-existent. _OR_ , you could say Sugar is channelling aliens to ‘write’ the ‘show’.”

“Hmm, fascinating… maybe there’s even a touch of time travel involved…”

“Maybe…?” Stevonnie shrugged, “Does linear time even matter though? Causality is true to an extent, but it is so ‘overrated’; who is to say it isn’t bi-directional? Omni-directional even!?”

“Okay Starlight, let’s leave that can of worms for later – possibly never – I don’t want to think about how…”

“Sorry if I got carried away…”

“No need for apologies Stevonnie, I’m sure these issues are valid in _some_ universe… Even if it’s ‘our’ own, it is still outside of our control… Right?”

(White gave no answer.)

 

“But,” Stevonnie exclaimed, “The truth about Sucrose could go even ‘deeper’. She may not just be a ‘human’ who is harbouring ‘aliens’; she might actually be much less human than many might think. It stands to reason that if humanoid ‘alien’ ‘creators’ had existed and created humanoid gems, they could easily hide within the human populous. Assuming the creators weren’t immortal, it makes sense that many of their descendants exist today – hiding in plain sight and integrating into society, except with lineage traceable all the way back. Sugar is one such decedent of the creators of gems.”

“Ignoring how she would even _know_ her roots…” Peridot commented, “Most knowledge would likely be lost after a few generations...”

(Again, Ronaldo screamed, “BUT WHAT ABOUT GENETICS!? By now any alien DNA would already…”, only to realise there is no reason for aliens to follow human ‘rules’ and expectations when it came to such matters.)

“Which is why she ‘created’ the ‘show’ – to pass the story on to future generations –; it likely wasn’t feasible until very recently and she just decided now was the right time. Before, it might have been a family secret; but now, it is finally able to be shared and enjoyed to the fullest potential!”

“It doesn’t answer all the questions… but I guess it’s more exciting and magical this way.”

 

“Logically, the ‘apex’ of this ‘train of thought’ would actually sound insane if taken out of context…”

“So? Still beats doing ‘nothing’ in the hiatus… Besides, it’s probably more sane than most of the hiatus-induced ‘episodes’ in the fans.” Yellow remarked as she leaned backwards.

“Yeah…” Blue whispered as she leaned forwards to get a much better look at her amazing ‘baby’.

“Although the OG creators may not have ‘survived’ in their original form, it doesn’t mean some of them wouldn’t still be around… It might make the ‘point’ of gems ‘moot’ if the creators are essentially ‘immortal’ in some way, but the fact remains – gems are still much better suited at bridging civilisations and travelling the cosmos (now that we are all working together).”

“Space, the ‘final frontier’…”

“Anyway Peridot… Rebecca is the latest ‘iteration’/form/’incarnation’ of an OG creator – perhaps not fully aware of everything, but just ‘knows’ to follow that feeling in her heart. A small price to pay in order to remain inconspicuous and ‘continuing the legacy’ (so to speak) by creating masterpieces across time.”

“So she’s either millennia old or was born in the last century depending on who you ask? Like the Doctor?”

“Yup! Except with less time travel… probably…”

 

“I think we’ve said enough,” Peridot concluded, “I can already imagine all the crack fics/headlines…”

“Yeah,” Stevonnie and the Diamonds replied in unison.

Although this discussion had not resulted in any definitive answers, it had also raised some good points – points that would’ve caused concern without loving supportive family (and friends)…

The Diamonds supposed that it wouldn’t be very strange if the actual truth were a mix of the ‘theories’ presented as ‘truths’, stories, narration, and so on. After all, this is Rebecca Sugar; one ‘explanation’ couldn’t possibly be enough, whole, or representative. It may even be something else entirely, but at least the author tried (perhaps better and more than most).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cracker of a chapter… (Over 9000 words… yup!)
> 
> Up next, back to more FLUFFY GOODNESS!
> 
> Might have gone a little T-rated there with _that_ ; oh well…
> 
> (If you stare really hard, you can see I’m referencing a certain other NSFW fic I wrote. Whether that is canon to this is up to you, this is as far as I’ll go with G-rated fluff – ‘mild’ subtext.)
> 
> PS: The last section/s might have gone a little full Hiatusverse… (Sorry if that bothered you… just trying to cover all my bases whilst being stimulating.)


	5. Goodnight Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie goes to wash up and settles in for the night. (FLUFF and Plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno what Stevonnie did on the Jungle Moon; but I’m PRETTY sure they are comfortable with themselves. JUST LET ME HAVE THIS. DON’T QUESTION THE IMPLICATIONS. THIS IS STEVONNIE FLUFF SO TAKE IT! Stevonnie/Steven/Connie are precious babies to the Diamonds and THE FANDOM NEEDS THIS CUTENESS!

For the Maheswarans, meeting the Diamonds proved nothing short of eye opening. They were essentially ageless gods, and yet exhibited the very same parenting problems they had experienced before. Unsurprisingly, Steven was the catalyst who sparked a change for the better. It was grounding and relatable; therefore, it was natural that the Diamonds had earned their trust very quickly.

The talks and bonding had really taken up most of the afternoon, and now it was getting late…

 

_### Some minutes ago… ###_

“Stromberg called in ‘sick’ _again_ ; I need you to cover for him.”

“Fine…” Priyanka sighed, “Let me just…”

\---

“Doug, my man… I’m gonna need you to take this extra shift tonight,” Doug’s manager said on the phone.

“Why? Is Onion at it again? I thought he got the message already…”

“You bet! Mr Smiley says he hasn’t been stealing anything lately, but…”

“Still doing his thing and probably making a mess; got it,” Doug finished.

“Well, I’ll take that as a yes. See you later Dougy boy!”

Doug took a deep breath as his manager hung up and he prepared for the night ahead…

_### … ###_

 

What nothing else left to say, Peridot knew to make her exit. However, there was still one thing she wanted to do…

“Well, time for me to go,” she stated as she turned towards Yellow, “I kinda need to be at the farm… So Yellow, would you mind tossing me over there?”

The request was odd, but it barely made Yellow raise her eyebrows. _‘If she wants to fly, she’ll fly.’_

“My Pleasure,” the golden gem replied as she cracked her knuckles (audibly), “PeriCLOD!”

Apart from a smiling Peridot and a mischievously grinning Yellow, everyone’s expression was blank, unsure if this was a lapse in sanity or a genuine ‘wish’ from Peridot. The Dorito’s smile only widened as Yellow picked her up with her hand; it wasn’t a tight grip, but one could imagine…

“So, Yellow Clod, how far have you tossed a gem before?”

“ _VERY_ far, you insolent lump of ‘useless’ rock,” Yellow replied as she readied her throw.

After taking a moment to account for environmental variables and calculating the optimal trajectory, the diamond swung her arm and ‘pitched’ Peridot, hard.

“TAKE THAT!”

“Weeee… I’m flying… Thanks Y…” was all Stevonnie could make out before Peridot broke the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom.

“She’ll be fine…” Yellow replied as she returned to her seat, smiling.

“Yeah, she’s one tough cookie…”

 

In another universe, Peridot would’ve circled the Earth; however, that just isn’t Steven Universe. Although Yellow could’ve easily thrown Peridot right pass the stratosphere, it seemed that most of the energy just went into ‘theatrics’ – namely energy trails and such (instead of velocity or altitude). That was good news for Peridot, as she probably couldn’t survive ‘re-entry’ like Navy. Yellow had made a sonic shield for the green gem so she could go supersonic, reasoning that nobody can resist the allure of speed. Yellow’s throw (by virtue of her size and calculated nature) was much more solid than Bismuth’s, meaning this landing should turn out much better…

 

As soon as Peridot was out of sight, Stevonnie heard two message notifications from Connie’s phone. Reaching into one of their pockets, Stevonnie pulled out the phone and read the messages.

_“Connie, this is mother. I won’t be coming home tonight, Stromberg…”_

‘Figures…’ Connie said inside Stevonnie as she mentally sighed.

‘Well maybe this means…’ Steven and Stevonnie suggested in unison.

‘Let’s just see what dad’s message is.’

_“Connie, dad here; can’t come home tonight (watching Onion for Mr Smiley). Have fun!”_

‘YAY! More together time!’ Steven and Stevonnie exclaimed in unison, before noticing Connie’s expression…

‘We still have to ask…’

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine, come here you!’

‘Yeah, Dr Mom already loves me! I’m sure she’ll say yes.’

‘Mmm, okay,’ Connie replied as she, Steven, and Stevonnie all came together in a big embrace.

Although on some level, it wasn’t an ‘actual’ hug; it felt real enough for them as they shared the experience, contently hugging each other in their ‘fusion space’ – the only place where all of them truly existed on the same ‘level’ (and could see each other and themselves simultaneously). Being Stevonnie is great on the ‘outside’, but being ‘inside’ can be just as good, if not better. No wonder Garnet’s so quiet…

It had felt like an eternity; however, on the outside, the diamonds watched on in amusement as mere seconds rolled by. Stevonnie was lost in the joy of existence – hugging themselves, humming, and just smiling brightly –, but they still had something to do…

“Starlight, I suggest you reply soon; wouldn’t want your parents worrying now, do we?”

“Oh, yeah; right.”

“They’ll understand, I’m sure of it.”

“Thanks Yellow, I love you mom.”

“Let’s do this!”

“That’s my sweet baby,” Blue complimented, causing Stevonnie to blush.

 

Stevonnie starting typing on the phone, but couldn’t help giggling. “ _Mom, this is Connie.”_

‘Hi mom, I am ‘Connie’,’ Stevonnie ‘whispered’, ‘I want to ask if ‘she’ can stay at Steven’s…’

‘Steven is a good boy.’

‘Connie agrees.’

‘Cut it out you guys, we have to finish this message.’

‘Right.’

_“Since you and dad are both busy tonight… I was wondering if I could stay at Steven’s tonight – with the Diamonds of course – for a sleepover. I think it’d be really nice for all of us. Love, Connie.”_

They hit the send button without even realising it, having left out what was probably the most important part… (It’ll probably be fine…)

 

A few minutes later, Connie’s phone started ringing and Stevonnie instinctively pressed the answer button. They mentally cringed as they held the phone up to their ear.

“Hey Connie, I’ve just talked to your father… Connie, you there?”

“Yes mom…” Stevonnie replied, trying their best to sound like Connie.

“Oh, good; I thought I’d called someone else by accident.”

The fusion couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah that would be real embarrassing…”

“Can you imagine?” Priyanka laughed in response, either not noticing the new voice or just trusting them enough and not questioning it.

“Anyway, you can stay at Steven’s (with the diamonds). Just promise you’ll stay safe.”

“Yes mom, okay I love you BYE!” Stevonnie blurted.

“Well, love you too honey. Have a nice night.” Priyanka replied as she kissed them over the phone.

They felt a warm fuzzy feeling in their heart as they hung up, still very much blushing. ‘One day, one day… But for now, IT’S FUN TIME!!!’

“YES!” Stevonnie cheered after they put Connie’s phone away.

 

Stevonnie turned to see their Diamond moms smiling, “What? Can’t let them find out over the phone…”

“You almost had us fooled…”

“If we weren’t looking at you! Thank the stars for audio only communications!”

“They probably would’ve been like ‘Who’s this?’ ‘Where is Connie?’ ‘OMG THEY ARE SO PRETTY, GORGEOUS, AND AMAZING; I need to hug them right now!’…”

“Mom…”

“But it’s true!”

“Hehe,” Stevonnie giggled, “Anyway, can you wait outside the beach house while I take a shower and clean off for the night?”

“No, problem.” Yellow replied.

“I don’t see a reason to go inside anyway.”

“Yeah, everyone else is busy so the house is pretty much empty…”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

Having shared a body together for what was probably a week on the Jungle Moon, neither Stevonnie nor their components actually had any problems with themselves – especially when it came to personal hygiene and such. They didn’t feel awkward at all, as they removed ‘their’ day clothes, took a shower, and dried themselves. Interestingly, they had noticed that Steven and Connie’s clothes had ‘reverted’ to their ‘normal’ ‘shape’ as they were putting them away.

“Huh, that’s odd…” Stevonnie said to themselves as they inspected the clothing, “Looks too small for me now… I wonder how it ever worked…”

Not wanting to do much more thinking, Stevonnie shrugged as they pushed the thought aside. They’d deal with that when it came up; they still have to get dressed for the night.

 

Thankfully, they had started to create a fusion wardrobe so they wouldn’t have to be limited to whatever way Steven and Connie’s clothes combined (not to mention, making it easier and less embarrassing for longer times as themselves). The style was sporty, colourful, and yet cute at the same time – the perfect combination for the perfect fusion. Before putting on the final layer however, Stevonnie paused and took a moment to admire themselves in the mirror – in their underwear –; turning every which way, just taking in the view of their own awesome deific self. What they saw could only be described as breathtaking (for lack of better words); their eyes immediately sparkling in response. For all their time spent together, they rarely took the chance to look at themselves in the mirror; simply too preoccupied with the joy of existence and never having enough time for it – until now.

“Oh wow, we look good!”

“Yeah, I do look GREAT!”

“Why thank you, Stevonnie.”

“What can I say though? Two greats only make something greater.”

“Oh you,” They blushed at their reflection and air kissed themselves, “Always so sweet and lovable.”

“Only because we’re the best! I’m the best!”

“I love us Stevonnie.”

“Me too, I love us too.”

A few more minutes of admiring themselves (appropriately, of course), a lot more compliments, hugs, and air kisses later…

“Okay beautiful, time to get dressed. WE HAVE TO SHOW MOM!”

 

After taking one last look at themselves, they finished cleaning up the bathroom and went to their section in Steven’s closet. It didn’t take long for them to find what they were looking for – a nightie, picked out specifically by Steven and Connie. Wasting no time, they took the item off the hanger, ran into the bathroom, and put it on (all without looking at the mirror).

“It’s perfect!” They said ecstatically and grinned at their reflection.

 

The diamonds could feel Stevonnie’s joyous aura as they emerged from the house.

“Wow… it’s so simple… yet the beauty…”

“I love the pattern Starlight,” White noted, observing the Strawberry Biscuits detailed all over.

“Thanks, it just feels right you know.”

“I can tell; it suits you.” Yellow remarked.

Stevonnie did a twirl to show off the flowy nature of the garment, “There’s just something about dresses and skirts you know. Pants are nice, but they’re kinda boring.”

“My thoughts exactly Starlight; stupid ‘practicality’ ‘forcing’ such ‘drab’ choices.”

Everyone except Yellow chuckled.

“So, want a ride?” Yellow asked, changing the topic.

“YEESSSSSSS!” Stevonnie shouted as they jumped up in the air, landing on Yellow’s shoulder just as she had changed into something more comfortable – hair let down, and giraffe pyjamas with fuzzy slippers to top it off.

“This feels so good,” Yellow said, feeling much more relaxed in her new outfit, “Come on Blue and White, let’s go!”

They giggled as they followed the golden gem, also changing their outfits as they thought about the day.

 

Once Yellow reached the Pink ship, she turned around to find a completely different Blue. She was in SHORTS; and was wearing a tank top, on it, a picture of Blue Pearl surrounded by the words ‘Best Pearl Ever!’ (Who can’t be after dealing with Blue for so long?). ‘She looks so beautiful…’ Yellow thought to herself (because this isn’t a Bellow fic).

“Before you object, it says _best_ Pearl, not _cutest_ Pearl.” Blue said, ‘defending’ her choice.

“That’s fair,” Stevonnie replied as White stepped out behind Blue.

White was also wearing a nightie, but went with a more literal theme; all over were the faces of White, Yellow, Blue, and Stevonnie (with Steven and Connie alongside them) – her family, now more whole than ever before. Her hair was still pointy, but now had a more relaxed look to it.

 “I LOVE IT!” Stevonnie exclaimed as they leap off Yellow’s shoulder to hug White.

“Glad to hear it, Stevonnie,” White replied as she kissed them.

 

“Last one inside is a doofus!” Yellow called as she activated the transport orb, with White and Blue immediately rushing in.

 

They all made it inside without much trouble, and took a few pictures to document the moment.

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

It was basically a moving castle/house/spaceship now, given how much space, gem-tech and such the vessel possessed. Like most gem ships, it was bigger on the inside; however, the sheer size of the exterior dimensions meant it was much less impressive a difference compared with other smaller crafts (not to mention less useful – the diamonds could probably all fuse inside and be fine).

The layout had caused a few issues in the initial phase of ‘renovations’ – namely how to not to make it any more silly and awkward –, but thanks to the hiatus, there was enough time to address everything and create a home away from home. There were now rooms for every occasion aboard the ship; lounge room for lounging, bedroom for sleeping, that other b-room (conveniently made easier by _that_ function), a kitchen (complete with zoo-tech for growing foods), another ballroom, and pretty much everything else; you name it, it had it.

 

Right now, Stevonnie and the Diamonds were in the lounge room, all lying and snuggling together on a very soft and comfortable ‘lounge’. A few photos had turned into a ‘photoshoot’ and lots of videos, and all thought it would be nice to just lie down and be. _(White_ definitely _needed more than just a comfortable seat to get over possibly millennia of_ standing _like that.)_

“It just feels good to be fused like this after everything you know, at least for the night anyway…” Stevonnie stated, answering the unspoken question.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Mm-hm,” Stevonnie nodded as they adjusted themselves, moving closer to White, the other diamonds also moving even closer.

Even though there were many conflicting feelings, thoughts, and emotions, they all knew it was better to get it over with – together, instead of apart.

 

“It’s scary how close we came to dying on Homeworld,” Stevonnie sighed, “I mean, we had our fair share of close calls on Earth, but…”

“Never were the odds so stacked against you?” Yellow suggested as she caressed the fusion’s side.

“Yeah… being sucked into space or stranded on an alien moon is scary and all… But I knew there would be help... and…”

“It was just one ‘bad’ gem or situation, everything else was still fine.”

“This,” Stevonnie motioned around them as Blue and White held them, “Could’ve been much worse; everything could’ve gone wrong. Humans need food and water, and the tower had neither…”

“I’m sorry,” Blue apologised, “But you have to know, we wouldn’t have left you unsupervised. We may have used to leave Pink, but part of me knew you were different.”

“It’s okay Mom,” Stevonnie reassured her as they hugged, “I’m glad you came to check on us.”

Blue kissed Stevonnie and confessed, “I’ll admit I was curious myself. You know, after the shock…”

“Your face at the ball was _pretty_ priceless after the 2nd or 3rd fusion. Bad priceless, but still…”

“Good for drama,” White added as everyone chuckled, completely ignoring the part about the ‘window’ in the tower.

Sometimes solid logic just doesn’t make good narrative, but Stevonnie really didn’t fit through the window. Maybe they did, but jumping out of a window would probably be a last resort. What happened was nice in hindsight – narrative and logic, even if it’s mostly Watermelons. It was something to keep people guessing and prepare for the epicness – a moment of distraction; _Escapism_ , but not really.

_(It still beats that show about metal seats, flying fire-breathing reptiles, backstabbing and whatevers. A show about deceit and chaos flipping on its viewers and characters? Totally saw that coming. As for that trailer for that sequel film about that ‘evil’ ‘witch’ – misunderstood and ostracised, more accurately – who turned good ‘flipping’ things ‘again’ this time? The election in a land down under that had been likened to the election of a certain ‘leader’? All of those people were probably in the same camp… the crazy bad camp, not the good one…)_

 

“When your ship started to move…” Yellow admitted, “I was so scared; Blue was scared. Never once did we have a confrontation like that before, and if it weren’t for Steven and Connie, we might’ve just taken the easy path out. Everyone looks up to me… but…”

“It’s just something you put on to protect your true self – your insecurities.”

“Yes Stevonnie, I’m probably a coward inside; but I’m glad you helped me break free.”

“Anything for family; I knew you were a softie!” Stevonnie gave Yellow a kiss.

“Only because we love you (and each other) so much; that’s _The Power of Love_.”

Stevonnie flashed a goofy smile, causing Yellow to soften even more.

 

“White taking over you guys had dampened our spirits,” They continued, “But it wasn’t until the Crystal Gems started falling that doubts began to surface…”

“It must be hard, seeing your closest family and friends being… invalidated like that.”

“If White could control Steven and Connie, everything…” Stevonnie sniffled.

“There, there.” White cooed, “You’ll feel better once you get it out.”

“Steven could’ve died, Connie could’ve died, I… could’ve died…”

“I know…” White said shamefully, “All because I was stuck in the past; I’m so sorry, Starlight.”

“It’s alright Mommy; nobody blames you, things just happen and well… That’s in the past.” Stevonnie replied, smiling.

“I may not truly know how Pink Pearl feels, but when I… It was unnerving having your thoughts… just… like that…”

“Poor Sunbeam, here, here,” White comforted, kissing her, “You too, Moonbeam… and Stevonnie, my most precious Starlight.”

“Some people might not trust you yet,” Stevonnie said, very much entwined in what was probably the best hug ever, “But they aren’t us. We love each other and we don’t need to be validated.”

“Maybe just a little though,” Yellow replied, half-chuckling with a smirk, “That’s why we’re all together here right now, right?”

“Yeah…”

 

“As for everything that’s been raised…” The golden gem continued, “Well, I think we’ve said enough.”

“Agreed… Although…” Blue said thoughtfully, “If we were results of nature processes…”

“You’d have to go _back_ to the very beginning, and turn it into an astronomy/physics thing. Who’d say ‘I am going to read some speculation fiction about the origins of the universe (in another universe); it’s 100,000 words long and oh boy I can’t wait for the next level!’ am I right? You NEED graphics with that; an imagination isn’t enough when you need to think in multiple DIMENSIONS!”

“Really makes you wonder, is there even a ‘beginning’ to begin with… if every ‘beginning’ is just another step backwards…”

“Well Yellow, to answer that question,” Blue said goofily, “If we go back to the creators, then we’d have to go back to _their_ beginnings, and…”

“It won’t ever end; there’s always a ‘bigger’ picture… How _frustrating_?”

“Good thing Peridot and Pearl haven’t fused yet…”

“Yeah… Maybe some things are meant to stay as mysteries.” Yellow shrugged as they all nudged even closer together.

 

After some more talking and reflection (with lots more hugs, kisses, and love of course), Stevonnie got up and led their diamond moms to the new bedroom on the ship – the best room, they claimed. If there’s anything they’ve learned, it’s that you should enjoy life instead of questioning everything. Curiosity isn’t bad in itself and the discussions had ignited many a cogs of thought amidst possible ‘revelations’; however, one mustn’t let them define or prevent you from enjoying yourself and being/doing good in the universe. Sure, a few held notions had changed, but it was for the better.

As some might say, “You could let it make you feel worthless, insignificant, and question your existence; OR, you could let it make you appreciate everything and every moment more. The universe is big and you are small, but atoms are even smaller. You’re important to you and those around you, that’s all that really matters. You may achieve many great things someday, but you just don’t get there by being alone or fussing over things expecting everything to magically happen.”

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

The bedroom was (as White put it,) marvellous – sized for Diamonds and not a hard surface in sight. Even the ‘floor’ was soft, yet not wobbly at the same time. Footsteps almost non-existent, save for soft comforting ‘thumps’.

Stevonnie yawned, “I think I’m ready to go to sleep…”

“Before you do, we have something to tell you.”

“What is it, Mom-Blue?”

“We love you, no matter what,” They said in unison.

“No matter what happens or what you choose for yourself,”

“You’ll always be our cute baby. We will stop at nothing to protect you, our happiness and family; because you’re our most precious gift – our shining star.”

“Aww, I love you Mommy!” Stevonnie replied, blushing.

The Diamonds smiled, their hearts soaring even higher; and then some more as Stevonnie gave each of them another round of hugs and kisses.

“We all love you SO much, don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t; I love you Forever-Mommies!”

“We know sweetie,” Blue cooed as Stevonnie let out yet another yawn.

“Is my little Starlight tired; sleepy?”

“Mmm…”

“Well, it’s time for bed, you little adorable being that you are,” Yellow said, giving Stevonnie a slight tickle.

“Hehe; alright mom.”

 

Blue held Stevonnie in her arms, gently rocking them back and forth – like the precious child that they are, their eyes slowly closing with each motion – as she sang a lullaby.

 

_Hush now, my sweet little Baby,_

_Don’t say a word; don’t worry now,_

_Mommy’s here, everything’s clear._

“They’re so cute and sweet,” Yellow whispered.

“They are, Sunbeam,” White replied, whispering, as they joined in.

 

_We all love you, and you love us,_

_Peace and love across the cosmos,_

_Brought us all together, better than ever._

_Things may go wrong, or they may go right,_

_Together, we have nothing to fear,_

_Through it all, our love will shine._

_Dream away, my sweet baby,_

_Mommy’s here, always by your side._

_Protecting you, loving you._

_Nothing can worry us,_

_For our love will rise above all,_

_Forever we’ll treasure you._

_You taught us love, caring, all things good,_

_Our shining star, we are truly living again,_

_Our mission is clear, spreading love and joy._

_We thought we had lost,_

_But we’ve only gained._

_Rest assured, my loving child,_

_Everything will be better now,_

_We have you, and we have love,_

_We’re never losing hope again._

_Hush now, our precious baby,_

_Let sweet dreams flow,_

_For our love is endless,_

_Mommy’s here, you’re here._

_I love you…_

Carefully, Blue repositioned Stevonnie as she moved closer to their ‘bed’.

“Goodnight, Stevonnie.” Blue whispered after kissing them.

“Night Mom,” They replied, returning the kiss.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, mommy.”

“Sweet dreams, Starlight.”

“You too, this’ll be fun.”

 

All smiled as they each kissed Stevonnie goodnight, also receiving kisses in return. Blue gently lowered Stevonnie onto their mattress and pulled a blanket over them, tucking them in. Yellow and White followed, patting the blanket and straightening it out, as if giving it their seal of approval for tucking them in.

Stevonnie’s smile only widened as they crossed their first threshold into dreamland.

 

“Ahh... this is so relaxing,” White whispered as the three diamonds all laid down together.

“It is,” Blue replied, yawning, “Time to join our baby in dreamland.”

“Night Blue…” Yellow mumbled.

 

Soon, the diamonds drifted into sleep effortlessly, smiling and snuggling close together on a diamond-sized mattress – so soft that it almost felt like air, yet supportive nonetheless. Although they didn’t stay very still at all, it wasn’t what you’d call restless; in fact, it was the opposite – they just couldn’t get enough of the comfort of a good sleep cuddle.

Just above White’s head, Stevonnie slept soundly in their ‘crib’, purring and snoring like the cute adorable baby that they are. Part of them had wanted to fall asleep huddled together, but they also enjoyed the feeling of being safe – surrounded by nothing but softness, not having to worry about falling off or any interruptions. (Headboards and walls are hard, and excitement in dreams can translate rather poorly. Steven and Stevonnie probably already knocked a few things around in their sleep...)

Although they were not snuggling physically, it was completely different in dreamland. Inside, they all snuggled together, sharing the sweetest of dreams for the whole night. Normally, such dream powers would be a drain, but empowered by love and their collective auras, it actually made them feel more rested than ever and allowed for even more happy fun dreamtimes.

 

Little did they know however, their adorable sleepiness was also something that could be turned ‘against’ them – given the right circumstances. Sure, they would never mind it, but still…

Peridot was almost cackling as she observed Stevonnie and the sleeping diamonds from her tablet. It was a last minute addition, but hiding it was half the fun! A testament to her intellect, some might say; but for Peridot, it was all about the _material_ …

“Who cares if it’s spying? It’s just SO CUTE and I have to keep an eye on it!” Peridot told to herself as she _thoroughly_ documented the scene.

After she was satisfied, she paused to pick out the best ones (to send to Amethyst, of course).

 

Oh well… It’ll probably be fine…

 

**###** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **###**

 

Message Log:

\---

_To: Amethyst 8XM (The Best One)_

_From: Peridot 5XG (The Leader)_

 

AMETHYST! You have to see this! So Stevonnie and the Diamonds are all sleeping together and OH MY STARS, THEY’RE ALL SO CUTE AND ADORABLE!

 

_[42 Image Attachments – 100 MB]_

\---

_To: Peri_

_From: Ames_

 

Did you just… call them cu…

_[Downloading Attachments]_

OH YUP, they _are_ cute! I’ve gotta show ‘em to the fam!

 

\---

_[Amethyst is Offline]_

_\---_

Peridot smiled, imagining what would happen indeed, continuing to observe the sleeping quartet – until she fell asleep herself…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this at the end of May and originally planned to release it over 9 days, but I was busy and didn't get round to it; so to make it up, I decided to just drop the whole thing in one go.
> 
> I'm still writing, so there's PLENTY of content to look forward to!


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